THE 



SATE MB THE GR8SS; 



OR 



3ilgrmfs Bregress in Retails. 



(An Excursus and Parallelism,) 

BY 

REV. GEORGE B. PECK, 

Author of " Steps cmd Studies" and " Throne Life. 



Multum adhuc restat operi, multumque restabit. [Much as yet remains of the 
work, and much will remain.] Seneca, Ep. 64. 



We know in part, and we prophesy in part 
darkly. 



. for now we see through a glass 
St. Paul, i Cor. 13 : 9, 12. 



It is not at all incredible that a book which has been so long in the possession of 
mankind should contain many truths as yet undiscovered, and that the whole scheme 
of Scripture is only to be understood by thoughtful men tracing out obscure hints, 
as it were, dropped us accidentally. Bishop Bu' 



BOSTON : 
Watchword Publishing Company. 



.T4 



Copyright, 
1889. 

By George B. Peck. 



To Him 

Who is the Mpha and Omega of the Law, — 
TSeing Himself the ^Divine Lawgiver, 
The Human Exemplar of the Law, 
The Executive of the Law, Spiritually Indwelling believers 
*And Working in them to Will and to T)o 
Of His Good Pleasure, 
zAnd, finally, the 
End of the Law unto them for Righteousness — 

Our Lord Jesus Christ, 

Is this little volume 
[Most reverently and unreservedly Inscribed and 
Committed, 

with the fervent prayer that He will graciously use 
it. to bring its readers to a more perfect sub- 
jection to, and confidence in Himself as 
the ^Author and Finisher of faith. 



PREFATORY. 



Every Epistle in the New Testament has both a 
separate and an associate mission. Each serves as a 
distinctive and characteristic mould for the fellowship of 
doctrines ; the mould consisting of some main truth in 
peculiar apposition with divers subordinate truths. And 
as to their reciprocal relations and inter-action, the indi- 
vidual utterances of the Epistles blend in such a perfect 
harmony and progress of doctrine, that their combined 
utterance proves to be but " the Voice of One 

One element in the individuality of the Epistles is what, 
for lack of a better name, may be termed 

The Thread-Thought. 

The Epistles present not merely an array of arguments, 
illustrations, and applications setting forth main and 
subordinate truths, but in nearly every Epistle there is to 
be found a constructive idea, about which the arguments, 
illustrations and applications assemble — a continuous 
thread-thought upon which they are strung, so to speak, 
like beads, in an order of size and color for the best 
effect. 

At times the thread-thought may be plainly traced, 
either as it contrasts or coalesces with the argument. 
At other times it seems capricious, appearing and disap- 



ii. 



PREFATORY. 



pearing without rule. It may burrow underneath a com- 
plexity of argument out of sight for awhile, and then 
suddenly re-appear, like a brook which is lost under- 
ground for a space, but finally proves its continuity when 
it emerges, by its direction and general similarity. 

Most, possibly all, of the constructive ideas or thread- 
thoughts in the Epistles may be expressed in single words. 
A few examples may be given here for illustration, as they 
appear to the writer, and then be left, without argument, 
to the reader's investigation to confirm or deny, as the 
judgment may be. For instance, the thread-thought of 
First Corinthians is liberty ; of Second Corinthians, sym- 
pathy; of Galatians, servility; of First Peter, subjection; 
of First John, communion; and of Jude, steadfastness. 

To affirm that Law is the thread-thought of the Epistle 
to the Romans, may startle those who have cherished the 
conviction that faith, in contrast with law, if not even in 
opposition to law, is " the burden of the Word of the 
Lord " in this Epistle. But even if such a view of the 
design of the Epistle should be admitted, we may still 
consider law to be the constructive idea, since, as we 
have remarked, the constructive idea may contrast, as 
well as agree with the course of the argument. But 
possibly it can be satisfactorily shown that the ultimate 
force of the Epistle serves to set forth faith as allied with 
law } and that the argument in the end, though apparently 
not at first, is a legal one, and that even all along, with every 
step of its progress, and from the very start, it savors of 
law, and loyalty to law. 

It is interesting to trace the frequent occurrence of the 



PREFATORY. 



iii. 



word " law " in the Epistle. It appears at least sixty-six 
times between the twelfth verse of the second chapter 
and the tenth verse of the thirteenth chapter. In every 
instance, excepting chapter seventh, verse twelfth, where 
the word means an order of sequence, it bears its nat- 
ural meaning, and implies authority demanding obedience. 

But the idea of law in the Epistle is by no means 
restricted to the use of the word. In fact, the idea 
begins, as the thread-thought, with chapter first, verse 
fifth, in an initiatory expression, " the obedience of faith " 
(margin). The same phrase re-appears, as a final expression 
of the thread-thought, in chapter sixteenth, verse twenty- 
sixth, which is the last verse but one of the whole Epistle. 
And thus the entire burden of thought in the Epistle is 
bounded, as it were, by this significant expression which 
involves the idea of law. That the idea is involved, is 
evident at a glance. The apostle is stating the kind or 
method of obedience which he has been appointed to 
bring about among mankind : an obedience of, or through 
faith. Here is a hint at obligation, an implied reference 
to an authority which requires conformity to its dictates. 
And the word " obedience", conveying the idea of the 
presence of law, in these passages presents law associated 
with faith. This association of law and faith, here, at 
the beginning of the Epistle, as it were covertly found, is 
further on boldly expressed in the words, " the law of 
faith " (3 : 27). And immediately thereafter, it is declared 
that faith, instead of making law void, actually estab- 
lishes law. But how faith does this, can only be clearly 
seen as the argument is considered in its totality*. 



iv. 



PREFATORY. 



To facilitate examination, the Epistle should be con- 
sidered according to its obvious divisions, viz: 

Chapter I. i— 1 5. The Salutation and Introduction. 

Chapter I. 16, 17. The Proposition for Proof. 

Chapter I. 18, to VIII. 39. The Proper, or Doctrinal Argument. 

Chapters IX-XI. The Supplemental, or Dispensational Argument. 

Chapters XII-XVI. Exhortations and Commandments based on 

the idea of the Unity of Law and Liberty already reached in 

the Doctrinal Argument. 

For all needs here, it will suffice to dismiss the Supple- 
mental Argument and the final Exhortations of the Epistle 
with a single remark. As to the former, we have the 
spiritual ruin of the Gentiles set forth in chapter first, 
and of the Jews in chapter second. Then, after the entire 
Doctrinal Argument establishes the only possible way of 
salvation for either Gentile or Jew, we find it admitted in 
the course of the Supplemental Argument, in chapters 
ninth and tenth, that only the Gentiles, viewed collect- 
ively, may be expected now to accept of this way, and so 
to be restored to the Divine favor. But at the close of 
the Supplemental Argument, in chapter eleventh, it is 
foretold that the Jews will finally also accept, and be 
restored. And this prophecy seems, in a logical view, 
necessary, in order to complete the proof of "The Propo- 
sition " offered for proof, in the beginning of the Epistle, 
in the sixteenth and seventeenth verses of chapter first. 

As for the Exhortations and Commandments, beginning 
with chapter twelfth, they assume that those to whom 
they are addressed already comprehend, or at least should 
comprehend, in view of the preceeding argument, the 



PREFATORY. 



'harmony which ^exists between law and faith. For 
example : the injunctions concerning "herbs " and "days," 
involving questions of conscience, in chapter fourteenth, 
are notably based on the implied union effected, through 
the doctrine of salvation by faith, between Law and 
Liberty; as opposed to Legality on the one hand, and to 
Lawlessness on the other. 

The Doctrinal Argument, 

or the argument proper, it is to be noticed, has its normal 
divisions ; and these the student should carefully observe. 
No method of examination, however painstaking, which 
disregards the very systematic arrangement of the course 
of reasoning, can discern the unity of thought and plan 
running through the midst of the paradoxical statements ; 
nor trace the progressive and culminative character of the 
argument ; nor, gather ultimately the force and weight of 
its conclusions, whether intellectual or spiritual. 

The Doctrinal Argument has two grand divisions : the 
first division embraces the first four chapters and the first 
ten verses of chapter fifth, and maybe termed Part First; 
and the second division, or Part Second, beginning with 
the eleventh verse of the fifth chapter, extends through 
the sixth, seventh and eighth chapters. 

Each Part has two minor divisions, which maybe styled 
Approaches and Culminations ; Part First, containing the 
First Approach and First Culmination ; and Part Second, 
the Second Approach and Second Culmination. The 
Culminations are so termed because they are the conclu- 
sions established by the stage of the argument in each part; 



vi. 



PREFATORY. 



and the Approaches are so called because they constitute 
the trains of reasoning which lead to the conclusions. 
Consistently with the progressive character of the entire 
Doctrinal Argument, the conclusion reached in the first 
part is assumed as true in the second part, and forms, 
impliedly, the basis of further reasoning. 

These divisions and subdivisions of the Doctrinal Argu- 
ment may be arranged in tabular form for convenient 
reference, as follows ; and it will be observed that in the 
arrangement the idea of law has been assumed as the 
constructive idea or thread-thought of the argument. 



PART I. 

Romans i : 18 to 5 : 10. 

FIRST APPROACH. 

Romans 1 : 18 to 3 : 20. 

Impossibility of Justification by the Deeds of the Law. 
The Law Condemns all who Look to it for Justification, 

as having already broken it. 

FIRST CULMINATION. 

Romans 3 : 21 to 5 : 10. 

Justification, Through Faith in Christ, Apart from the 
Law; a Righteousness which Satisfies the Law, being 
Imputed, in view of the Atoning Blood. Thus Faith, as 
it were, Avoids the Law, in order to Establish the Law. 
This may therefore be termed The Negative Culmination. 



PREFATORY. 



vii. 



PART II. 

Romans 5 : 11 to 8 : 39. 

SECOND APPROACH. 

Romans 5 : 1 1 to 7 : 25. 

Impossibility of Sanctification by Deeds of the Law. 
The Law Condemns all who Look to it for Sanctification; 
as, by so doing, they inevitably break it continually. 

SECOND CULMINATION. 

Romans 8 : 1-39. 

Sanctification, Through Faith in Christ, Recovering the 
Law ; the Righteousness of the Law being Imparted, and 
Fulfilled within the Believer, in view of the Holy Spirit 
Indwelling and Controlling. This may therefore be termed 
The Positive Culmination. 



And now, the reasons for drawing 
The Parallelism. 

The Epistle of St. Paul to the Romans, owing possibly 
to its combined metaphysical and logical structure — if 
the phrase be neither uncharitable nor irreverent — is 
confessedly repellant to many Christians, who therefore 
miss some of the most precious instruction and comfort 
to be found in God's Word. Some years ago it occurred 
to the writer, that the drift of the argument in the Epistle 
might be set forth in an attractive form by introducing 
a series of illustrations selected from that all-but-inspired 
volume, Bunyan's "Pilgrim's Progress." 

And on prayerful investigation, it seemed surprising to 



viii. 



PREFATORY. 



discover how closely the parallelism could be drawn in 
the main, and how aptly even many details, in the course 
of the Apostle's argument, were thus seen to correspond 
with a believer's conscious experience. 

On every occasion when the parallelism has been made 
the outline of a discourse, hearers have expressed them- 
selves as receiving both pleasure and profit, and the 
preparation of the book is largely due to the solicitation 
of a number of these persons. 

After prayerful consideration, the writer has yielded to 
what seemed to be the liberty of necessity in accommodating 
the Story to the needs of the Epistle ; and has therefore 
omitted portions of the Allegory which did not serve the 
purpose in view, and attached somewhat novel interpreta- 
tions to certain portions which have been retained ; and 
furthermore, has introduced in one instance — acknowl- 
edged in the connection by brackets — a few sentences 
into the Story for which Bunyan is not responsible, but 
which possibly he might not repudiate in the intent, if he 
did in the form. 

The reader will observe that many portions of the paral- 
lelism are placed in brackets, the reason being, as will be 
obvious on examination, that in such portions greater 
liberties have been taken in the discussion, the train of 
thought not following so closely the direct meaning 
expressed in the course of the Epistle ; though no inten- 
tional departure has in any instance been taken from the 
general analogy of faith in the Scriptures. The author 
therefore craves a degree of patient investigation on 
the part of readers who might otherwise make haste to 



PREFATORY. 



ix. 



disagree with him, judging from chance expressions and 
partial statements in the course of the argument. 

However, the author is aware that he will not be regarded 
as a strict disciple of any one school of interpretation, 
and so incurs the risk of being cold-shouldered in every 
direction ; each party possibly fearing that their cause is 
herein given away to one or more of the others. If so, 
though loth to forfeit friends, the author, in presenting 
what he believes on prayerful study to be the truth, as a 
mean among extremes of interpretation, and a selection 
from, and re-arrangement of exegetical fragments from 
others, must rest content, as it has been quaintly, but rev- 
erently phrased, to " Be popular with One ! " 

Nevertheless, dear fellow members of " the One Body," 
let us grow broad in loving, even if we grow narrow in 
reasoning. Fervently desiring this for himself and his 
readers, the author, in closing these prefatory remarks, 
would express the wish which has been uppermost while 
preparing this little volume, that it may be to each of 
its readers an incentive to personal and prayerful 
study of the Divine Argument concerning " the mystery 
of godliness " as set forth in the Epistle to the Romans ; 
leading them, unto their greater edification and comfort, 
to see and rejoice in the reasonableness, as well as 
blessedness of faith. 

But yet, alas ! as to the Church of Christ, how few, 
amidst the mass of acknowledged Believers, appear to 
realize how reasonable their faith, if Scriptural, will be; 
and how few, comparatively, of the accredited spiritual 
Scribes and Sages seem to apprehend how accordant with 



X. 



PREFATORY. 



faith their reasoning, if Scriptural, must be. The things 
which Truth hath thus joined together, namely, Reason 
and Faith, let neither Credulity nor Sophistry put 
asunder ! The whole of the Inspired Argument in the 
Epistle to the Romans forbids it ; in that it shows that 
though Faith transcends Reason, Faith does not contravene 
Reason ! 

And possibly, by way of an added protest, the appended 
lines which the writer designed for another occasion, may 
be admissible here ; and may also prove, perchance, not 
unwelcome as a restful interlude between the tedium of 
these prefatory thoughts and the weightier matters of the 
inspired Epistle to follow. 



REASON AND FAITH. 

(Based on a thought from an old writer.) 

No question but the thought to Truth is treason 
That Faith is weakness, and estranged from Reason : 
They are twin-born, a sister and a brother, 
And each would mourn the absence of the other. 
With hand in hand, by turns they seek attendance, 
For mutual need hath linked them in dependence. 
From Faith's veiled eyes the pleasant light is hidden, 
Music to Reason's deadened ears forbidden. 
All through the golden day, while proudly leading, 
Reason conf esseth not that he is needing ; 
With curious eye the boundless landscape ranges, 
And ponders thus the prospect as it changes : 

" All things have souls, methinks, and talk together, 
And tell, if asked, of what, and why, and whether : 
The sunbeams laugh there, sparkling on the river, 
At timid shades that on its margin quiver ; 



PREFATORY. 



xi. 



The flowers, impearled with dews, cast wanton glances 
Up at the grain arrayed with plumes and lances ; 
The leaden vapors curling round the mountains 
Comfort the vineyards thirsting for their fountains ; 
The well-worn path of Nature thus invites us, 
And every thoughtful step we take requites us." 
But when night comes and not a star is gleaming, 
Abashed he stands, and falls to foolish dreaming ; 
At loss for knowledge, objects disappearing, 
And every thing unseen and doubtful fearing. 

Then Faith, familiar with the darkness, gently 
Compelling forward, bends her ear intently, 
Consoling thus herself : 44 We pass on blindly, 
But loving ones are caring for us kindly. 
For now, the bustling whirl of daylight ceasing, 
I note the voices of the night increasing, — 
A 4 sound of going in the tree-tops, smitten 
By winds, like leafy guide-posts zephyr written ; 
And now, a wood-sprite kissed my cheek in passing ; 
And yonder many elfish shadows, massing, 
Attend our steps, their phantom wings protecting, 
And whispers weird our doubtful path directing ; 
And all this Silence, pensive at their calling, 
Repeats, 4 This is the way to keep from falling.' " 

G. B. P. 

Boston, Mass., December, 1889. 



CONTENTS. 



PAGES. 

Prefatory, I-XI 

Contents, XIII-XVII 

PART I. 

From the City to the Gate. - 1-48 

First Group of Parallels, 3-13 

1. The City of Destruction, 5-9 • 

The City in the Story, 5 

The City in the Epistle (Romans 1 : 18-32), - 7 

2. Evangelist Counsels Christian, - 9-1 1 

Evangelist Counseling, in the Story, - 9 
Evangelist Counseling, in the Epistle (Romans 

1 : 1-15), 10 

3. The Distant Light above the Gate, ... i 2 , 13 

The Distant Light in the Story, ... I2 
The Distant Light in the Epistle (Romans 1 : 

16, 17), - 12 

The Connection in the Story, - 13 

Second Group of Parallels, I 5~ 2 9 

1. The Village of Morality, 17-22 

The Village in the Story, ----- 17 

The Village in the Epistle (Romans 2; 17-29), 21 

2. Mt. Sinai Impending, 22-24 

Mt. Sinai Impending in the Story, ... 22 



xiv. 



CONTENTS. 



Mt. Sinai Impending in the Epistle (Romans 2 : 

1-16), - ' 22 

3. Evangelist rebuking Christian, .... 24-29 

Evangelist rebuking in the Story, ... 24 
Evangelist rebuking in the Epistle (Romans 3 : 

1-20), 27 

Third Group of Parallels, .... 30-48 

1. The Wicket Gate, 23-37 

The Wicket Gate in the Story, ... 23 
The Wicket Gate in the Epistle, (Romans 3 : 

21-26), 35 

2. Christian's Talk with Goodwill, - - - 37~43 

Christian's Talk with Goodwill in the Story, - 39 
Christian's Talk with Goodwill in the Epistle 

(Romans 3 : 27 to 4 : 25), ... 41 

3. Christian's Song at the Gate, - - - , - 44-48 

Christian's Song at the Gate, in the Story, - 44 
Christian's Song at the Gate, in the Epistle, 

(Romans 5: 1-11), ----- 46 

PART II. 

From the Gate, to the Cross. - 49-182 

Fourth Group of Parallels, 51-112 

1. The Two Adams, ...... 54-64 

The Two Adams in the Story, - 54 
The Two Adams in the Epistle (Romans 5 : 

12-21), 58 

2. Passion and Patience, 64-81 

Passion and Patience in the Story, ... 64 
Passion and Patience in the Epistle (Romans 6: 

1-23), 66 

Christian's First Question concerning Passion - 

and Patience, 67 



CONTENTS. 



XV. 



Christian's Second Question concerning Passion 

and Patience, 77 

3. The Dusty Room, 81-112 

The Dusty Room in the Story, - 81 
The Dusty Room in the Epistle (Romans 7 : 

1-13), ------- 83 

Some Analogical Points (An Episode), - - 88 

Fifth Group of Parallels. ----- 1 13-154 

1. The Cross on the Hill, ----- 11 5-146 

The Cross on the Hill, in the Story, - - 117 
The Cross on the Hill, in the Epistle (Romans 7 : 

14 to 8 : 4), - . . . . - ir 8 

Concerning Three Laws (An Episode), - - 133 

2. The Three Shining Ones, ----- 146-153 

The Three Shining Ones, in the Story, - - 146 
The Three Shining Ones, in the Epistle (Romans 

8: 5-3°)> ------- 147 

The First Shining One, in the Epistle (Romans 8: 

5-")> - 148 
The Second Shining One, in the Epistle (Romans 

8: 12-27), 150 
The Third Shining One, in the Epistle (Romans 

8: 28-30), 152 

3. Christian's Song at the Cross, - - - - 153,154 

Christian's Song at the Cross in the Story, - 153 
Christian's Song at the Cross in the Epistle 

(Romans 8 : 31—39)1 154 

Sixth Group of Parallels, ' 155-182 

1. The Three Sleepers, 157-169 

The Three Sleepers in the Story, ... 157 
The Three Sleepers in the Epistle (Romans 

Chapters 9, 10, 11), 158 

(1.) Christian's Grief at Sight of the Sleepers 

(Romans 9 : 11-29), 159 



xvi. 



CONTENTS. 



(2.) Condition of the First Class of Sleepers, 

named " Simple " (Romans 9 : 30-33; 10: 

i-3)> 161 
(3.) Christian Exhorts the Sleepers (Romans 10 : 

4-13), - - - - - - - 163 

(4.) Condition of the Second Class of Sleepers, 

named " Sloth " (Romans 10: 14-21), - 163 
(5.) Condition of the Third Class of Sleepers, 

named " Presumption " (Romans 11: 1-10), 165 
(6.) Christian's Reflections Upon the Whole 

Matter (Romans 11: n-36), ... 167 
2. Formalist and Hypocrisy, ----- 169-182 
Formalist and Hypocrisy, in the Story, - - 170 
Formalist and Hypocrisy, in the Epistle (Romans 

Chapters 12 to 16, inclusive), - 173 

1. Christian Rebukes Formalist and Hypocrisy for 

Worldliness (Romans 12 : 1-3), - - - 173 

2. Christian Explains the Reason for his Plain Apparel 

(Romans 12: 4 to 16: 24), - - - 173 

(1.) Christian's Spiritual Garments of Love, 
Hope and Patience, fit him for Service in the 
Church (Romans 12: 4-16), - 174 

(2.) Christian's Spiritual Garments fit him for 
Service towards Enemies (Romans 12: 
17^21), - ------ 175 

(3.) Christian's Spiritual Garments fit him for 

Service as to Citizenship (Romans 13 : 1-14), 175 

(4.) Christian's Spiritual Garments fit him for 
Service towards Weaker Brethren (Romans 
14: t to 15: 7), 176 

(5.) Christian's Spiritual Garments fit him for 
Service towards the Unbelieving world, in 
Preaching the Gospel (Romans 15: 8-21), 179 

(6.) Christian's Spiritual Garments fit him for 
Service in the Direction of Benevolence and 
Missionary Zeal (Romans 15: 22, 23), - 180 



CONTENTS. 



xvii. 



(7.) Christian's Spiritual Garments fit him for 
Service among Intimate Friends, and in the 
Home-circle (Romans 16: 1-24), - - 180 
3. Christian Reads from his Roll, as he Proceeds 

alone (Romans 16': 25-27), - - - 182 



fxom t$t City to 



\ 



FIRST GROUP OF PARALLELS. 

1. The City of Destruction. 

2. Evangelist Counsels Christian. 

3. The Distant Light above the Gate. 



4 



ALL are " condemned already," but only those who 
believe it reap the advantage of this. Advantage ! 
what advantage can there be in knowing I am condemned 
already ? Much, because only they who believe them- 
selves condemned can claim a Saviour. — Mackay. 



FIRST GROUP OF PARALLELS. 



1. The City of Destruction. 

2. Evangelist Counsels Christian. 

3. The Distant Light above the Gate. 

1. THE CITY OF DESTRUCTION. 

This lost and guilty world exposed to the wrath of God. . 

THE CITY IN THE STORY. 

As I walked through the wilderness of this world, I 
lighted on a certain place, where was a den ; and laid 
me down in that place to sleep : and as I slept, I dreamed 
a dream. I dreamed, and behold I saw a man clothed 
with rags, standing in a certain place, with his face from 
his own house, a book in his hand, and a great burden 
upon his back. I looked, and saw him open the book, 
and read therein ; and as he read, he wept, and trembled ; 
and, not being able longer to contain, he brake out with 
a lamentable cry, " What shall I do ? " 

In this plight, therefore, he went home, and refrained 
himself as long as he could, that his wife and children 
should not perceive his distress ; but he could not be 
silent long, because that his trouble increased ; wherefore 



6 



THE GATE AND THE CROSS. 



at length he brake his mind to his wife and children ; and 
he thus began to talk to them : " my dear wife, " said 
he, " and ye the children of my bowels, I your dear friend, 
am, in myself, undone, by reason of a burden that lieth 
hard upon me : moreover, I am certainly informed, that 
this our city will be burned, with fire from heaven : in 
which fearful overthrow, both myself, with thee my wife, 
and you my sweet babes, shall miserably come to ruin, 
except (the which yet I see not) some way of escape may 
be found, whereby we may be delivered." 

At this his relatives were sore amazed ; not for that 
they believed that what he had said to them was true, 
but because they thought that some frenzy or distemper 
had got into his head ; therefore, it drawing towards 
night, and they, hoping that sleep might settle his brains, 
with all haste got him to bed. But the night was as 
troublesome to him as the day ; wherefore, instead of 
sleeping, he spent it in sighs and tears. So when morn- 
ing was come, they would know how he did. He told 
them, " Worse and worse : " he also set to talking to them 
again ; but they began to be hardened. They also 
thought to drive away his distemper by harsh and surly 
carriage to him : sometimes they would deride, sometimes 
they would chide, and sometimes they would neglect him. 

Wherefore he began to retire himself to his chamber 
to pray for and pity them, and also to console his own 



FROM THE CITY TO THE GATE. 7 



misery ; he would also walk solitarily in the fields, some- 
times reading, and sometimes praying : and thus for some 
days he spent his time. Now I saw, upon a time when 
he was walking in the fields, that he was, as he was wont, 
reading in his book, and greatly distressed in his mind ; 
and as he read, he burst out, as he had done before, cry- 
ing, " What shall I do to be saved ? " I saw also that he 
looked this way, and that way, as if he would run ; yet he 
stood still, because, as I perceived, he could not tell 
which way to go. 

THE CITY IN THE EPISTLE. 

Romans, 1 : 18-32. 

Verses eighteen to twenty furnish us with a stray leaf 
from the Book which so terrified Christian as he read it, 
and led him to become aware of the burden on his back. 

The doom which this passage pronounces on the city, 
Christian repeats to his family and friends ; but they 
laugh at him and at his words. 

18. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all 
ungodliness, and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in 
unrighteousness. 

19. Because that which may be known of God, is manifest in them ; 
for God hath shewed it unto them. 

20. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world 
are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even 
his eternal power and Godhead ; so that they are without excuse. 

Verses twenty-one to thirty-one consist of extracts 



8 



THE GATE AND THE CROSS. 



from the City Registers and Police Records, giving 
detailed and classified descriptions of some of the most 
dangerous inhabitants : thieves, murderers and others 
who infest the vilest quarters of the city ; and fill Christian 
with such horror as he thinks of them, that he trembles 
for his native place. The extracts also set forth that these 
degraded ones were once respectable citizens, and show 
how they became bad, and grew from bad to worse. 

21. Because that when they knew God, they glorified him not as 
God, neither were thankful, but became vain in their imaginations, 
and their foolish heart was darkened. 

22. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools ; 

23. And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image 
made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four-footed beasts, 
and creeping things. 

24. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, through 
the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between 
themselves : 

25. Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped 
and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for 
ever. Amen. 

26. For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections. For 
even their women did change the natural use into that which is 
against nature : 

27. And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the 
woman, burned in their lust one towards another ; men with men 
working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that 
recompense of their error which was meet. 

28. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, 
God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which 
are not convenient ; 

29. Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, 



FROM THE CITY TO THE GATE. 



covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, 
malignity; whisperers, 

30. Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud boasters, inventors 
of evil things, disobedient to parents, 

31. Without understanding, covenant-breakers, without natural 
affection, implacaole, unmerciful. 

Verse thirty-two states the indifference with which 

the neighbors and acquaintances of Christian, as well 

as the citizens generally, treated his message concerning 

the doom pronounced on the city ; and calls tb mind the 

way in which the Sodomites ridiculed and resented the 

warning of Lot. 

32. Who, knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit 
such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have 
pleasure in them that do them. 

2. EVANGELIST COUNSELS CHRISTIAN. 

The winner of souls is seen to yearn after those who have 
ears for the truth, and to seek out and help with good counsel 
all who would journey towards the Celestial City. 

EVANGELIST COUNSELING IN THE STORY. 

I looked then, and saw a man named Evangelist, 
coming to him, who asked " Wherefore dost thou cry ? " 

He answered, " Sir, I perceive, by the book in my 
hand, that I am condemned to die ; and after that to 
come to judgment ; and I find that I am not willing to 
do the first, nor able to do the second." 



THE GATE AND THE CROSS. 



Then said Evangelist, " Why not willing to die, since 
this life is attended with so many evils ? " The man 
answered, " Because I fear that this burden that is upon 
my back, will sink me lower than the grave ; and I shall 
fall into Tophet. And, sir, if I be not fit to go to prison, 
I am not fit to go to judgment, and from thence to 
execution : and the thoughts of these things make me 
cry." 

Then said Evangelist, " If this be thy condition, why 
standest thou still ? " He answered, " Because I know 
not whither to go." Then he gave him a parchment 
roll, and there was written within, " Fly from the wrath to 
corneT The man therefore read it, and looking upon 
Evangelist very carefully, said, " Whither must I fly ? " 

EVANGELIST COUNSELING IN THE EPISTLE. 

Romans, i : 1-15. 

St. Paul, as the Evangelist, announces to his fellow 
pilgrims his commission from the Lord of the " Celestial 
City," to search out and counsel all who would know and 
walk in the way thither ; and declares his willingness 
and purpose to proclaim the good news of salvation to all 
he may meet. 

We behold, therefore, in this passage, Evangelist 
coming (by letter) to meet Christian, and give him good 
counsel. Note verses 1, 5 and 9-15 particularly. 



FROM THE CITY TO THE GATE. n 



1. Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, 
separated unto the gospel of God, 

2. (Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy 
Scriptures.) 

3. Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made 
of the seed of David according to the flesh ; 

4. And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to 
the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead. 

5. By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience 
to the faith among all nations, for his name : 

6. Among whom are ye also the called of Jesus Christ : 

7. To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints : 
Grace to you, and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus 
Christ. 

8. First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that 
your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world. 

9. For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the 
gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always 
in my prayers, 

10. Making request (if by any means now at length I might have 
a prosperous journey by the will of God) to come unto you. 

11. Fori long to see you, that I may impart unto you some 
spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established ; 

12. That is, that I may be comforted together with you, by the 
mutual faith both of you and me. 

13. Now I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that oftentimes 
I purposed to come unto you (but was let hitherto) that I might 
have some fruit among you also, even as among other Gentiles. 

14. I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; 
both to the wise, and to the unwise. 

1 5. So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to 
vou that are at Rome also. 



THE GATE AND THE CROSS. 



3. THE DISTANT LIGHT ABOVE 
THE GATE. 

The inquirer's first knowledge of the gospel. The statement 
is plain, but the pilgrim only apprehends it dimly, in the 
midst of his conviction and alarm concerning his sins. 

THE DISTANT LIGHT IN THE STORY. 

Then said Evangelist, (pointing with his finger over a 
very wide field,) " Do you see yonder wicket gate ? " The 
man said, " No." Then said the other, " Do you see 
yonder shining light ? " He said, " I think I do." Then 
said Evangelist, " Keep that light in thine eye, and go up 
directly thereto ; so shalt thou see the gate ; at which, 
when thou knockest, it shall be told thee what thou shalt 
do." 

THE DISTANT LIGHT IN THE EPISTLE. 

Romans 1 : 16, 17. 

16. For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ : for it is the 
j?ower of God unto salvation to every one that believeth ; to the Jew 
first, and also to the Greek. 

17. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to 
faith : as it is written, The just shall live by faith. 

This statement, so bright and luminous when we 
approach it, and an epitome of the whole epistle, is yet 
here, to the poor, sin-weighted pilgrim, by its brevity, 
and by contrast with the awful darkness brooding over 



FROM THE CITY TO THE GATE. 13 



the doomed city from which he has just come (verses 18- 
32), like a dim and distant light. Its rays of truth flicker 
faintly through the moral midnight of the remaining verses 
of the chapter. None others than the alarmed pilgrim, 
of the thousands in the city, heed it at all. " The light 
shineth in darkness ; and the darkness comprehended it 
not " (John 1 : 5). 

THE CONNECTION IN THE STORY. 

(Without a Parallelism in the Epistle.) 

Christian starts for the wicket gate, as bidden by 
Evangelist, though ridiculed and worried by his relatives 
and neighbors. Two of his friends, Obstinate and Pliable, 
follow him up, desirous to bring him back. Instead of 
succeeding in this, his earnest persuasions induce Pliable 
to accompany him. But when they reach the Slough of 
Despond, Pliable forsakes him and returns, while Christian 
is assisted out of his trouble by a man named Help, and 
goes on his way again. Soon afterwards he falls in with 
Mr. Worldly Wiseman, with whom he converses concerning 
his burden, and who persuades him to give up the notion 
of seeking the wicket gate, and to turn aside for relief to 
the house of Mr. Legality, who resides in the neighboring 
village of Morality. 



SECOND GROUP OF PARALLELS. 



1. The Village of Morality. 

2. Mount Sinai Impending. 

3. Evangelist Rebuking Christian. 



1 6 



HERE are some poor hearts among you longing to be 
saved. "Ah," you say, "I hear that if I come to 
Christ I shall be saved ; but how can I come to Him ? 
What do you mean by coming to Jesus ? " Well, our 
reply is plain and clear, — it is to trust Christ, to depend 
upon Him, to believe Him, to rely upon Him. Then 
they inquire, " But how can I come to Christ ? In what 
way would you recommend me to come ? " The answer 
is, the very best way to come to Christ is to come with 
all your needs about you. If you could get rid of half 
your needs apart from Christ, you would not come to 
Jesus half as well as you can with the whole of them 
pressing upon you, for your need furnishes you with 
motives for coming, and gives you pleas to urge. 

— Spurgeon. 



SECOND GROUP OF PARALLELS. 



1. The Village of Morality. 

2. Mount Sinai Impending. 

3. Evangelist Rebuking Christian. 



1. THE VILLAGE OF MORALITY. 

Whither Worldly Wiseman persuades the pilgrim to go, 
in order to consult Mr. Legality or his son Civility, who 
have a famous way for ridding one of a sense of sinfulness 
by the performance of good works, without any need of an 
ato?iement. Preaching the letter of the law, they disregard 
its spirit ; swollen with pride of knowledge, they despise 
others, and are blind to their own errors. They lay stress 
on the merit of good resolutions ; and burdened consciences 
often resort to them. 

THE VILLAGE IN THE STORY. 

Now as Christian was walking solitarily by himself, he 
espied one afar off, crossing over the field to meet him ; 
and their hap was to meet, just as they were crossing the 
way to each other. The gentleman's name that met him 
was Mr. Worldly Wiseman; he dwelt in the town of 



18 THE GATE AND THE CROSS. 



Carnal Policy, a very great town, and also hard by from 
whence Christian came. This man then, meeting with 
Christian, and having some knowledge of him — for 
Christian's setting forth from the City of Destruction was 
much noised abroad, not only in the town where he dwelt, 
but also it began to be the town talk in some other places. 
Mr. Worldly Wiseman, therefore, having some guess 
of him, by beholding his laborious going, by observing 
his sighs and groans, and the like, began thus to enter 
into some talk with Christian : 

Worldly Wiseman. How now, good fellow, whither 
away after this burdened manner ? 

Christian. A burdened manner indeed, as ever I think 
poor creature had ! And whereas you ask me, Whither 
away ? I tell you, sir, I am going to yonder wicket gate 
before me, for there, as I am informed, I shall be put in 
a way to be rid of my heavy burden. 

Woi'ldly Wiseman. Hast thou a wife and children ? 

Christian. Yes ; but I am so laden with this burden, 
that I cannot take pleasure in them as formerly ; methinks 
I am as if I had none. 

Worldly Wiseman. Wilt thou hearken to me if I give 
thee counsel? 

Christian. If it be good, I will ; for I stand in need 
of good counsel. 

Worldly Wiseman. I would advise thee then, that 



FROM THE CITY TO THE GATE. 19 



thou with all speed get thyself rid of thy burden ; for thou 
wilt never be settled in thy mind till then : nor canst thou 
enjoy the benefits of the blessings which God hath bestowed 
upon thee till then. 

Christian. That is that which I seek for, even to be 
rid of this heavy burden ; but get it off myself I cannot ; 
nor is there a man in my own country that can take it off 
my shoulders ; therefore am I going this way, as I told you, 
that I may be rid of my burden. 

Worldly Wiseman. Who bade thee go this way to be 
rid of thy burden ? 

Christia?i. A man that appeared to me to be a very 
great and honorable person ; his name, as I remember, is 
Evangelist. 

Worldly Wiseman. Beshrew him for his counsel. There 
is not a more dangerous and troublesome way in the 
world, than is that unto which he hath directed thee ; 
and that thou shalt find, if thou wilt be ruled by his 
counsel. Thou hast met with something, as I perceive, 
already. I see the dirt of the Slough of Despond is upon 
thee ; but that slough is the beginning of the sorrows 
that attend those that go on in that way. 

.... Why, in yonder village (the village is named 
Morality), there dwells a gentleman whose name is Legality 
a very judicious man, and a man of very good name, that 
has skill to help men off with such burdens as thine is 



20 THE GATE AND THE CROSS. 

from their shoulder, yea, to my knowledge, he hath done 
a great deal of good in this way : and besides, he hath 
skill to cure those that are somewhat crazed in their wits 
with their burden. To him, as I said, thou mayest go, 
and be helped presently. His house is not quite a mile 
from this place ; and if he should not be at home himself, 
he hath a pretty young man to his son, whose name is 
Civility, that can do it, (to speak on) as well as the old 
gentleman himself. There, I say, thou mayest be eased 
of thy burden ; and' if thou art not minded to go back to 
thy former habitation, as indeed I would not wish thee, 
thou mayest send for thy wife and children to thee to this 
village, where there are houses now standing empty, one 
of which thou mayest have at a reasonable rate ; provision 
is there also cheap and good ; and that which will make 
thy life more happy, is to be sure there thou shalt live 
by honest neighbors, in credit and good fashion. 

Now was Christian somewhat at a stand ; but presently 
he concluded, if this be true which this gentleman hath 
said, my wisest course is to take his advice ; and with 
that he thus farther spake : " Sir, which is my way to this 
honest man's house ? " 

Worldly Wiseman. Do you see yonder high hill ? 

Christian. Yes, very well. 

Worldly Wiseman. By that hill you must go, and the 
first house you come at is his. 



FROM THE CITY TO THE GATE. 21 



THE VILLAGE IN THE EPISTLE. 

Romans 2 : 17-29. 

A portrait of its chief citizen, Mr. Legality, and an 
exposure of his school of philosophy, established of old 
in the town. His son, Civility, seems hinted at in verses 
28, 29. Read :. Behold thou art called Mr. Legality, etc. 

17. Behold, thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and 
makest thy boast of God, 

18. And knowest his will, and appro vest the things that are more 
excellent, being instructed out of the law ; 

19. And art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind, 
a light of them which are in darkness, 

20. An instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, which hast 
the form of knowledge and of the truth in the law. 

21. Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not 
thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou 
steal ? 

22. Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost 
thou commit adultery ? thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit 
sacrilege ? 

23. Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the 
law dishonorest thou God ? 

24. For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles, 
through you, as it is written. 

25. For circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law: but if 
thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision. 

26. Therefore, if the uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the 
law, shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision ? 

27. And shall not uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfil 
the law, judge thee, who by the letter and circumcision dost trans- 
gress the law ? 

28. For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly ; neither is that 
circumcision, which is outward in the flesh : 



THE GATE AND THE CROSS. 



29. But he is a Jew, who is one inwardly ; and circumcision is 
that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter ; whose praise is 
not of men, but of God. 

2. MOUNT SINAI IMPENDING OVER 
MR. LEGALITY'S HOUSE. 

Nowhere are its thunders louder, or generally, so little 
heeded. 

MOUNT SINAI IN THE STORY. 

So Christian turned out of his way to go to Mr. Legality's 
house for help. But behold, when he was got now hard 
by the hill, it seemed so high, and also that side of it that 
was next the way-side did hang so much over, that 
Christian was afraid to venture farther, lest the hill should 
fall on his head : wherefore, there he stood still, and 
knew not what to do. Also his burden now seemed 
heavier to him than while he was in the way. There 
came also flashes of fire out of the hill that made Christian 
afraid he should be burned ; here, therefore, he sweat and 
did quake for fear. And now he began to be sorry that 
he had taken Mr. Worldly Wiseman's counsel ; and with 
that he saw Evangelist coming toward him ; at the sight 
also of whom he began to blush for shame. 

MOUNT SINAI IN THE EPISTLE. 

Romans 2 : 1-16. 
Placed by Paul, as well as Bunyan, immediately facing 
the pilgrim before he quite reaches Legality's house, to 



FROM THE CITY TO THE GATE. 23 



frighten him back. Verses 9, 14, 15 show that it threatens 
not only the Village of Morality, but also the City of 
Destruction. 

1. Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man^ whosoever thou art 
that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest 
thyself ; for thou that judgest doest the same things. 

2. But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth 
against them which commit such things. 

3. And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do 
such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment 
of God ? 

4. Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance 
and longsuffering ; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth 
thee to repentance ? 

5. But, after thy hardness and impenitent heart, treasurest up 
unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the 
righteous judgment of God ; 

6. Who will render to every man according to his deeds : 

7. To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for 
glory and honor and immortality, eternal life : 

8. But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, 
but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, 

9. Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth 
evil ; of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile ; 

10. But glory, honor, and peace, to every man that worketh good ; 
to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile : 

11. For there is no respect of persons with God. 

12. For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish 
without law ; aud as many as have sinned in the law shall be j udged 
by the law ; 

13. (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the 
doers of the law shall be justified. 

14. For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature 
the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law 
unto themselves : 



THE GATE AND THE CROSS. 



1 5. Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their 
conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while 
accusing or else excusing one another ; ) 

16. In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus 
Christ according to my gospel. 

3. EVANGELIST REBUKING CHRISTIAN. 

Evangelist falls i?i with Christia?i again, as he trembles 
near the mountain, and rebukes and re-directs him, showing 
him that the Village of Morality, to which he fled, is as much 
accursed and doomed as the City of Destruction, from which 
he fled. 

EVANGELIST REBUKING IN THE STORY. 

So Evangelist drew nearer and nearer, and coming up 
to him, he looked upon him with a severe and dreadful 
countenance, and thus began to reason with Christian : 

" What dost thou here, Christian ? " said he. At which 
words Christian knew not what to answer ; wherefore at 
present he stood speechless before him. Then, said 
Evangelist farther, " Art not -thou the man that I found 
crying without the walls of the City of Destruction ? " 

Christian. Yes, dear sir, I am the man. 

Evangelist. Did not I direct thee the way to the wicket 
gate ? 

Christian. Yes, dear sir. 

Evangelist. How is it then that thou art so quickly 
turned aside ? For thou art now out of the way. 



FROM THE CITY TO THE GATE. 25 



Christian. I met with a gentleman so soon as I had 
got over the Slough of Despond, who persuaded me that 
I might, in the village before me, find a man that could 
take off my burden . . . but when I came to this place 
and beheld things as they are, I stopped for fear (as I 
said) of danger ; but I know not what to do. 

Evangelist. Then stand still a little, that I may show 
thee the words of God. 

So he stood trembling. Then said Evangelist, " See 
that you refuse not him that speaketh ; for if they escaped 
not who refused him that spake on earth, much more 
shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh 
from heaven." He said moreover, " Now, the just shall 
live by faith ; but if any man draw back, my soul shall 
have no pleasure in him." He also did thus apply them : 
" Thou art the man that art running into this misery ; 
thou hast begun to reject the counsel of the Most High, 
and to draw back thy foot from the way of peace, even 
almost to the hazarding of thy perdition." 

Then Christian fell down at his feet as dead, crying, 
"Wo is me, for I am undone ! " At the sight of which, 
Evangelist caught him by the right hand, saying, " All 
manner of sin and blasphemies shall be forgiven unto 
men ; be not faithless but believing." Then did Christian 
again a little revive, and stood up trembling, as at first 
before Evangelist. 



26 



THE GATE AND THE CROSS. 



Then Evangelist proceeded again, saying, " .Give more 
earnest heed to the things that I shall tell thee of. I will 
now show thee who it was that deluded thee, and who it 
was also to whom he sent thee. The man that met thee 
is one Worldly Wiseman, and rightly he is so called, partly 
because he savoreth only of the doctrine of this world; 
(therefore he always goes to the town of Morality to 
church ; ) and partly because he loveth that doctrine best ; 
for it saveth him from the cross ; and because he is of 
this carnal temper, therefore he seeketh to pervert my 
ways, though right. . . . He to whom thou wast sent 
for ease, being by name Legality, is the son of the bond- 
woman which now is, and is in bondage with her children, 
and is, in a mystery, this Mt. Sinai which thou hast feared 
will fall on thy head. Now if she with her children are 
in bondage, how canst thou expect by them to be made 
free ? This Legality, therefore, is not able to set thee free 
from thy burden. 

No man was as yet ever rid of his burden by him ; 
no, nor ever is like to be : ye cannot be justified by the 
works of the law ; for by the deeds of the law no man 
living can be rid of his burden ; therefore Mr. Worldly 
Wiseman is an alien, and Mr. Legality a cheat. As for 
his son Civility, notwithstanding his simpering looks, he 
is but a hypocrite, and cannot help thee. Believe me, 
there is nothing in all this noise that thou hast heard of 



FROM THE CITY TO THE GATE. 27 



these sottish men, but a design to beguile thee of thy 
salvation, by turning thee from the way in which I have 
set thee." 

After this, Evangelist called aloud to the heavens for 
confirmation of what he had said : and with that there 
came words and fire out of the mountain under which 
poor Christian stood, that made the hair of his flesh stand 
up. The words were thus pronounced ; " As many as are 
of the works of the law are under the curse. For it is 
written, cursed is every one that continueth not in all 
things which are written in the book of the law to do them." 

Now Christian looked for nothing but death, and began 
to cry out lamentably : even cursing the time in which 
he met with Mr. Worldly Wiseman ; still calling himself 
a thousand fools for hearkening to his counsel ; he also 
was greatly ashamed to think that this gentleman's 
arguments, flowing only from the flesh, should have the 
prevalency with him as to cause him to forsake the right 
way. 

EVANGELIST REBUKING IN THE EPISTLE. 

Romans 3 : 1-20. 

Evangelist shows how Mr. Legality and all of his school 
in the Village of Morality, are as far from the Celestial 
City as any in the City of Destruction ; and besides, 
being nearer Mt. Sinai, which curses all, will get the 



28 THE GATE AND THE CROSS. 



swiftest bolts. In verses nineteen and twenty the 
mountain emits its fiery curses, confirming Evangelist's 
statements, and causing Christian to quake with terror. 

1. What advantage then hath the Jew ? or what profit is there of 
circumcision ? 

2. Much every way : chiefly, because that unto them were 
commited the oracles of God. 

3. For what if some did not believe ? shall their unbelief make 
the faith of God without effect ? 

4. God forbid : yea, let God be true, but every man a liar ; as it 
is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest 
overcome when thou art judged. 

5. But if our unrighteousness commend the righteousness of God, 
what shall we say ? Is God unrighteous who taketh vengeance ? 
(I speak as a man ) 

6. God forbid : for then how shall God judge the world ? 

7. For if the truth of God hath more abounded through my lie 
unto his glory ; why yet am I also judged as a sinner ? 

8. And not rather, as we be slanderously reported, and as some 
affirm that we say, Let us do evil, that good may come ? whose 
damnation is just. 

9. What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise; for we 
have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin ; 

10. As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one : 

11. There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh 
after God. 

12. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become 
unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. 

13. Their throat is an open sepulchre ; with their tongues they 
have used deceit ; the poison of asps is under their lips : 

14. Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness : 

1 5. Their feet are swift to shed blood : 

16. Destruction and misery are in their ways : 

17. And the way of peace have they not known: 



FROM .THE CITY TO THE GATE. 29 



18. There is no fear of God before their eyes. 

19. Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith 
to them who are under the law : that every mouth may be stopped, 
and all the world may become guilty before God. 

20. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be 
justified in his sight : for by the law is the knowledge of sin. 



THIRD GROUP OF PARALLELS. 



1. The Wicket Gate. 

2. Christian's Talk with Goodwill. 

3. Christian's Song at the Gate. 



32 



IT is clear that if any one be too great a sinner to be 
saved, the apostle Paul is a liar, and the Word of 
God is false ; for Paul cannot be " the chief of sinners " 
if there be a greater than he ; and the Word of God can- 
not be true which has thus recorded his saying. 

■ — " The Soul a?id its Difficulties" Soltau, 



THIRD GROUP OF PARALLELS. 



1. The Wicket Gate. 

2. Christian's Talk with Goodwill. 

3. Christian's Song at the Gate. 



1. THE WICKET GATE. 

Christ accepted by faith as the entrance to the way which 
leadeth unto life> 

Not until after entrance at this gate does the pilgrim really 
merit the name of " Christian" and until now, the name 
has been his only by anticipation ; until now he has been a 
fugitive from justice. 

THE GATE IN THE STORY. 

Christian. Sir, what think you ? Is there hope ? May 
I now go back, and go up to the Wicket Gate ? Shall I 
not be abandoned for this, and sent back from thence 
ashamed ? I am sorry I have hearkened to this man's 
counsel : but may my sins be forgiven ? 

Evangelist. Thy sin is very great : for by it thou 
hast committed two evils : thou hast forsaken the way 
that is good, to tread in forbidden paths ; yet will the 
man at the gate receive thee, for he has good will for men: 



34 



THE GATE AND THE CROSS. 



only take heed that thou turn not aside again, lest thou 
perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. 

Then did Christian address himself to go back ; and 
Evangelist, after he had kissed him, gave him one smile, 
and bade him " God speed." 

So Christian went on with haste ; neither spake he . to 
any man by the way ; nor, if any asked him, would he 
vouchsafe them an answer ; he went like one that was all 
the while treading on forbidden ground, and could by no 
means think himself safe, till again he was got into the 
way which he left, to follow Mr. Worldly Wiseman's 
counsel. So, in process of time, Christian got up to the 
gate. Now over the gate was written, " Knock, and it 
shall be opened unto you." He knocked therefore more 
than once or twice, saying : 

" May I now enter here ? Will he within 
Open to sorry me, though I have been 
An undeserving rebel ? Then shall I 
Not fail to sing his lasting praise on high." 

At last there came a grave person to the gate, named 
Goodwill, who asked who was there, and whence he came, 
and what he would have. 

Christian. Here is a poor burdened sinner. I came 
from the City of Destruction, but am going to Mount 
Zion, that I may be delivered from the wrath to come : 
I would therefore, sir, (since I am informed that by this 



FROM THE CITY TO THE GATE. 35 



gate is the way thither,) know if you are willing to let me in. 

Goodwill. I am willing with all my heart, said he ; 
and with that he opened the gate. 

THE GATE IN THE EPISTLE. 

Romans 3 : 21-26. 

21. But now the righteousness of God without the law is 
manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets ; 

22. Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus 
Christ unto all and upon all them that believe ; for there is no 
difference : 

23. For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God ; 

24. Being justified freely by his grace, through the redemption 
that is in Christ Jesus : 

25. Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation, through 
faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of 
sins that are past, through the forbearance of God ; 

26. To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness : that he 
might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. 

The pilgrim now arrived, breathless with haste, at this 
gate of free grace, well nigh dead through fear of Mt. 
Sinai (2 : 1-16 ; 3 : 19, 20) which demanded his death 
as a sinner, knocks by faith and finds glad entrance. At 
once he sees his rags of self-righteousness fall off, and 
discovers himself arrayed in a robe of righteousness, not 
his own, but purchased by blood, and placed upon him 
on the occasion of his faith in a crucified Redeemer ; a 
righteousness apart from the law — that is to say, unpro- 
vided by the law — yet satisfying the law to such a 



36 



THE GATE AND THE CROSS. 



complete degree, that the same God who thundered in 
righteousness from Sinai against him as a sinner, is now 
seen to be equally righteous in accounting him righteous, 
since Christ is made unto him righteousness (i Cor. i : 30) ; 
yea, is so abundantly made unto him righteousness, that 
henceforth he is not simply as a guilty one pardoned, but 
as one justified, as though never having been guilty. 

Christian's discovery, at this point, of judicial right- 
eousness before the law, but not of the law, accounted his 
on the occasion of his faith in the fact that Christ was 
" made to be sin on our behalf, that we might become 
the righteousness of God in him" (2 Cor. 5 : 21. R. V.), 
makes clear to him his position of acceptance with God, 
and right of access to God, through faith, concerning 
which we find him immediately rejoicing in the Epistle 

(5 : *, *)• 

And we are furthermore to observe that, in the logical 
order of the Epistle, the doctrine of the believer's standing 
through reckoned or imputed righteousness — or, to state 
it negatively, his position in grace where sin is not imputed 
(4 : 8) — is henceforth in the Epistle assumed, as proved 
here, once for all ; so that the argument advances from 
this doctrine as a basis understood, without need of 
repetition or detailed reference. In due time we shall 
arrive at the point in the Epistle, where the pilgrim, after 
further schooling under the law, as a Deuteronomy, 



FROM THE CITY TO THE GATE. 37 



discovers that righteousness is also imparted, through 
faith, for practical life, becoming inwrought within him, 
and out-flowing from him, and affording an increased 
consciousness of divine fellowship. But, at the present 
stage of the Epistle, he finds satisfying peace in the 
knowledge of reckoned righteousness and justifying 
grace. This doctrine of full and free justification absorbs 
his thought, as being a glorious fundamental truth for 
faith, and thrills him for the time being with rapture too 
great for a conception of further need. 

2. CHRISTIAN'S TALK WITH GOODWILL. 

The pilgrim now adds to his faith knowledge (2 Pet. 1:5), 
being taught the way of God more perfectly (Acts 18 : 26). 
Goodwill, representing the Lord fesus, keeper of the gate, 
instructs and encourages him. It may be noted, as a common 
feature of this conversation as found in both the Story and 
the Epistle, that the antiquity of the way to the Celestial City, 
as of faith through the Wicket Gate, instead of works by 
Aft. Sinai, is especially pointed out ; being stated to be as old 
as the times of the patriarchs. 

One thing greatly puzzles Christian in this passage in the 
Story, to which we find nothing parallel just here in the 
Epistle, viz : he is annoyed and amazed to find that he has 
not gotten rid of his burden ; that is, of a sense of sinfulness, 
now that he has entered the Wicket Gate and treads the 



3 8 THE GATE AND THE CROSS. 



King's highway. On the other hand, in the Epistle, all 
conversation with Goodwill, and all the results of entering 
the gate, are given in a strai?t of assurance and peace. Yet 
we are not to conclude that Bunyan is all astray, for the 
burden of Christian appears plainly enough at a later stage 
in the Epistle. The Story and the Epistle are parallel 
in this matter, only Bunyan anticipates Paul a little. 

In the Story, notwithstanding the pilgrim complains of 
the continuance of the burden, he is evidently convinced that 
he is the gainer by entrance at the gate ; and so, in some 
sense, his burden is not the same altogether that it was before. 

We may consider the difference to be in a relief felt from 
condemnation as to the sins and sinfulness of the past, while 
yet there reinains a pressure of inability to cease from fresh 
outbreaks of evil, still imbedded within the being. True, 
even here, there is a blessed measure of compensation experi- 
enced in the k?iowledge that a confessed sin is a forgiven sin, 
in view of the Redeemer's sacrifice a?id intercession (i John 
i : 9 ; 2 : 1,2), yet a disheartening need may be felt, and 
that, too, more and more consciously, of a degree of grace 
sufficient to deliver from the power of sin, so as to prevent 
sin, as well as to restore from it. It is the doctrine of just- 
ification from committed sins and overt sinfulness, rather 
than that of deliverance from the sway of inbred corruption 
impelling to sin, that is exhibited in this portion of the 
Epistle which we have termed the Wicket Gate. 



FROM THE CITY TO THE GATE. 39 



TALK WITH GOODWILL IN THE STORY. 

Christian. I have told you truly, concerning Pliable ; 
and if I should also say all the truth of myself, it will ap- 
pear there is no difference betwixt him and myself. 'Tis 
true, he went back to his own house ; but I also turned 
aside to go in the way of death, being persuaded thereto 
by the carnal argument of one Mr. Worldly Wiseman. 

Goodwill. Oh ! did he light upon you ? What ! he 
would have had you sought for ease at the hands of 
Mr. Legality : they are both of them very cheats : but, 
did you take his counsel ? 

Christian. Yes, as far as I durst ; I went to find out 
Mr. Legality, until I thought that the mountain that 
stands by his house would have fallen upon my head : 
wherefore there I was forced to stop. 

Goodwill. That mountain has been the death of many, 
and will be the death of many more : It is well you 
escaped being dashed in pieces by it. 

Christian. Why, truly, I do not know what had become 
of me there, had not Evangelist happily met me again as 
I was musing in the midst of my dumps : but it was God's 
mercy that he came to me again, for else I had never 
come hither. But now, I am come, such a one as I am ; 
more fit indeed for death by that mountain, than thus 
to stand talking with my Lord. But oh ! what a favor 
is this to me, that yet I am admitted entrance here ! 



THE GATE AND THE CROSS. 



Goodwill. We make no objections against any; 
notwithstanding all that they have done before they came 
hither, they in no wise are cast out : and therefore, good 
Christian, come a little way with me, and I will teach thee 
about the way thou must go. Look before thee ; dost 
thou see this narrow way? That is the way thou must 
go. It was cast up by the patriarchs, Christ and his 
apostles, and it is as straight as a rule can make it : this 
is the way thou must go. 

Christian. But, are there no turnings nor windings by 
which a stranger may lose his way ? 

Goodwill. Yes, there are many ways abut down upon 
this, and they are crooked and wide ; but thus thou mayst 
distinguish the right from the wrong, the right only being 
straight and narrow. 

Then I saw in my dream, that Christian asked him 
further, if he could not help him off with his burden that 
was upon his back ; for as yet he had not got rid thereof, 
nor could he by any means get it off without help. 

He told him, " As to thy burden, be content to bear 
it until thou comest to the place of deliverance ; for 
there it will fall from thy back of itself." 

Then Christian began to gird up his loins, and address 
himself to his journey. So the other told him, that by 
that he was gone some distance from the gate, he would 
come at the house of the Interpreter, at whose door he 



FROM THE CITY TO THE GATE. 41 



should knock, and he would show him excellent things. 

Then Christian took his leave of his friend, and he 
again bade him " God speed." 

TALK WITH GOODWILL IN THE EPISTLE. 

Romans 3 : 27-31; 4: 1-25. 

Goodwill, in the Epistle, as well as in the Story, cheers 
Christian with information concerning the gate. He 
makes plain, first, the contrast, without conflict, between 
Mt. Sinai and the Wicket Gate, or between law and grace 
(3 : 2 7~3 I )> as exhibited by the plan of faith in avoiding 
the law for righteousness, without making the law of right- 
eousness void ; and second, the antiquity of the way 
through the Wicket Gate of faith, that it antedates the 
mountain of the law, having been used by Abraham, who 
lived somewhere between the City of Destruction and 
the spot where Mt. Sinai stands (4 : 1-5, 9-22); and 
third, that its antiquity and superiority are further 
corroborated by David's use of it, who lived somewhere 
between Mt. Sinai and the Wicket Gate (4 : 6-8) ; and 
last, he points out the freeness of access to the gate to 
all comers (4 : 23-25). 

The questions found in chapter third, verses 27, 29, 31, 
and in chapter fourth, verses 1, 9, 10, may be considered 
as put by Christian in the course of the conversation, and 
the several replies as made by Goodwill. 



4 2 



THE GATE AND THE CROSS. 



(CHAPTER THIRD.) 

27. Where is boasting then ? It is excluded. By what law ? of 
works ? Nay ; but by the law of faith. 

28. Therefore we conclude, that a man is justified by faith without 
the deeds of the law. 

29. Is he the God of the Jews only ? Is he not also of the Gentiles ? 
Yes, of the Gentiles also : 

30. Seeing it is one God which shall justify the circumcision by 
faith, and uncircumcision through faith. 

31. Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: 
yea, we establish the law. 

(CHAPTER FOURTH.) 

1 . What shall we then say that Abraham, our father as pertaining 
to the flesh, hath found ? 

2. For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to 
glory, but not before God. 

3. For what saith the Scripture ? Abraham believed God, and it 
was counted unto him for righteousness. 

4. Now to him that worketh, is the reward not reckoned of grace, 
but of debt. 

5. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth 
the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. 

6. Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man unto 
whom God imputeth righteousness without works, 

7. Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and 
whose sins are covered. 

8. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin. 

9. Cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision only, or 
upon the uncircumcision also ? For we say that faith was reckoned 
to Abraham for righteousness. 

10. How was it then reckoned? When he was in circumcision, 
or in uncircumcision ? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision. 

11. And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the 
righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised ; 



FROM THE CITY TO THE GATE. 43 



that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be 
not circumcised, that righteousness might be imputed unto them also ; 

12. And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the 
circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our 
father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised. 

13. For the promise that he should be the heir of the world was 
not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the 
righteousness of faith. 

14. For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, 
and the promise made of none effect. 

1 5. Because the law worketh wrath : for where no law is, there is 
no transgression. 

16. Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace ; to the end 
the promise might be sure to all the seed : not to that only which is 
of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham, who is 
the father of us all, 

17. (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations) 
before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, 
and calleth those things which be not, as though they were. 

18. Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the 
father of many nations ; according to that which was spoken, So 
shall thy seed be. 

19. And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body 
now dead, when he was about a hundred years old, neither yet the 
deadness of Sarah's womb : 

20. He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief ; 
but was strong in faith, giving glory to God ; 

21. And being fully persuaded, that what he had promised, he 
was able also to perform. 

22. And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness. 

23. Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed 
to him ; 

24. But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on 
him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead ; 

25. Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for 
our justification . 



THE GATE AND THE CROSS. 



3. CHRISTIAN'S SONG AT THE GATE. 

As the Israelites after crossing the Red Sea, sang for joy 
because they ivere utterly escaped from danger and death 
in Egypt (type of this lost and guilty world), and because 
they beheld Fharaoh (type of Satan, the Erince of this 
world), and his hosts overthrown, their wrath being spent 
and harmless, so now Christian, realizing that he has escaped 
the doom of the City of Destruction, and is shielded by the 
gate from the arrows shot from the enemy 's castle outside, 
bursts into a song of thanksgiving and joy, in the spirit of 
Moses and Miriam. 

CHRISTIAN'S SONG AT THE GATE, 
IN THE STORY. 

Bunyan's pilgrim does not sing, indeed, any set song 
at this stage of the journey, but Paul's pilgrim does ; for 
there is a marked and signal strain of joy and exultation 
at this point in the Epistle. 

In searching for a parallel in the Story we need to do 
it no violence however, for in lieu of a set song, we may 
gather the expressions of joy and gratitude which Bunyan 
puts in Christian's mouth ; and we shall find that, taken 
in connection with the accompanying circumstances, 
they furnish abundant occasion for a song. To prove 
this, we have need to repeat some of the scenes at the 



FROM THE CITY TO THE GATE. 45 



gate already noticed, and to notice in addition, others 
which occur in the Story, but which we passed over. 

Evidently, when Christian comes up to the gate, he 
anticipates the joy which he is sure he shall feel when 
once inside : for he recites a song, if he does not sing one; 
and in it he celebrates the joy to be experienced by him 
in heaven, telling how he shall yet sing there, if allowed 
to pass the gate, as if that would settle that he reaches 
heaven. 

"He knocked, therefore, more than once or twice 
saying : 

' May I now enter here ? Will he within 
Open to sorry me, though I have been 
An undeserving rebel ? Then shall I 
Not fail to sing his lasting praise on high.'' " 

Again, after Christian passes in and converses with 
Goodwill, the keeper of the gate, such expressions as the 
following escape him, revealing his newly found happiness : 

" I rejoice and tremble . . . Now I begin to reap the 
benefits of my hazards . . . Why, truly, I do not know 
what had become of me there, had not Evangelist happily 
met me again, as I was musing in the midst of my dumps ; 
but it was God's mercy that he came to me again, for 
else I had never come hither. But now I am come, such a 
one as I am, more fit indeed for death by that mountain, 
than thus to stand talking with my Lord ! Bitt oh / what 



46 THE GATE AND THE CROSS. 



a favor is this to me, that yet I am admitted entrance 
here /" 

CHRISTIAN'S SONG AT THE GATE, 
IN THE EPISTLE. 

Romans 5 : 1-11. 

Here are some glorious stanzas : all of them expressive 
of the conscious accompaniments and consequents of 
entrance at the Wicket Gate ; that is, of justification 
by faith ; e.g., peace with God, access to His continual 
favor, joyful hope, joyful patience, growth in a course of 
consecutive graces, and experience of God's love in the 
heart through the power and presence of the Holy Ghost : 
and all this seen to-be due to the reconciliation effected 
through the death and resurrection of Christ our Lord 
(verse 10). 

Well may Christian shout and sing as follows : 

1. Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God, 
through our Lord Jesus Christ : 

2. By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein 
we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 

3. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also : knowing 
that tribulation worketh patience ; 

4. And patience, experience ; and experience, hope : 

5. And hope maketh not ashamed ; because the love of God is 
shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost, which is given unto us. 

6. For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ 
died for the ungodly. 

7. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die : yet peradventure 
for a good man some would even dare to die. 



FROM THE CITY TO THE GATE. 47 



8. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that while we 
were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 

9. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be 
saved from wrath through him. 

10. For if when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by 
the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be 
saved by his life. 

11. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord 
Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement. 

The pilgrim now realizes what an utterly different 
man he is from what he was, and in what an entirely 
different position he is from that in which he was when 
outside of the Wicket Gate, fleeing from the law, whose 
sentence of death left him hopeless and trembling. For 
now he sees that he has not only " righteousness apart 
from the law "(3 : 21, R. V.), but also that he is "alive 
apart from the law "(7 : 9, R. V.), " alive from the dead " 
(6 : 13), having been born of the Holy Ghost (5 : 6). 
And owing to his consciousness of this new life through 
a new birth, many of the truths which Christian rejoiced 
to see for the first time at the gate (3: 21-26), in an 
objective light, he now sees, since his talk with Goodwill, 
also subjectively ; that is, more in connection with their 
experimental and conscious results.* 

It may be that the parallelism we have thus far traced 
appears somewhat far-fetched and obscure to the reader. 



* Logically, as given in the Epistle, justification and regeneration 
are distinct, but in our conscious experience they synchronize. 



48 THE GATE AND THE CROSS. 

If so, the matter will grow clearer if the reader will now 
take his Bible and trace the review for himself ; following 
the divisions already sketched, but not exactly in the 
order given, but as they occur in the Epistle. Thus : 

Chapter I. 1-15. Evangelist coming to counsel Pilgrims. 
" " 16, 17. The distant Light above the Gate, to 
which Evangelist points. 
" 18-32. The City of Destruction. 
II. 1-16. Mount Sinai impending over Legality's 
house. 

" 17-29. The Villiage of Morality, where Legality 
lives. 

III. 1-20. Evangelist Rebuking. 

The Wicket Gate. 

Goodwill explains the way more perfectly. 
Christian's Song at the Gate. 




FOURTH GROUP OF PARALLELS. 



1. The Two Adams. 

2. Passion and Patience. 

3. The Dusty Room. 



5 2 



H ROUGH our first birth we were made partakers in 
Adam's death ; through our second birth we become 
partakers in the death of the second Adam. But a 
believer may have much of which he is ignorant. Most 
believers are in their conversion so occupied with Christ's 
death for sin as their justification, that they do not seek 
to know what it means that in Him they are dead to sin. 
When they first learn to feel their need of Him as their 
sanctification,then the desire is awakened to understand 
this likeness of His death. They find the secret of holi- 
ness in it ; that as Christ, so they also have died to sin. 

• — " Like Christ" Andrew Murray, 



FOURTH GROUP OF PARALLELS. 

(As found in the house of the Interpreter.) 

Romans 5 : 12-21; 6: 1-23; 7: 1-13. 

1. The two Adams. 

2. Passion and Patience. 

3. The Dusty Room. 



PREFATORY. 



The house of the Interpreter is the house of the Holy- 
Ghost, who alone can interpret the Scriptures and develop 
experience, as the One who " searcheth all things, yea, 
the deep things of God"(i Cor. 2 : 10). 

The Holy Ghost is first named in the Epistle, in 5 : 5, 
as given to the believer as an accompaniment of 
justification ; therefore, thereafter in the Epistle He 
is assumed as present with the pilgrim to edify and 
comfort, though He is not mentioned by name again 
until the eighth chapter, in which He is associated with 
a second crisis in the believer's experience. 

The development of doctrine and experience in the 
Epistle is eminently logical : overlooking which fact, 



THE GATE AND THE CROSS. 



many seem to miss much vital truth. Thus : we saw the 
z//zregenerate pilgrim come from the City of Destruction 
(i : 18-32,) to the Wicket Gate (3 : 21-26), but here- 
after, we follow only the regenerate pilgrim, from the 
Wicket Gate onward to the Cross. The law has a second 
part to perform : we have seen it a schoolmaster leading 
to the Wicket Gate, and now we shall find it a schoolmaster 
leading to the Cross ; /. to a fuller apprehension 
of the Atonement. 

1. THE TWO ADAMS. 

This topic is so vital to the plan of the Epistle that the 
writer ventures to change the application of two scenes in the 
Story to suit it, hoping that the reader will pardon the rudeness 
— and he may think, even barbarity — on the evidence 
appearing that the effort is not to improve the incomparable 
Bunyan, but to illustrate the i?ispired Paul. The extemporized 
portions are indicated by brackets. 

THE TWO ADAMS IN THE STORY. 

THE FIRST ADAM. 

Then went Christian on, till he came at the house of 
the Interpreter, where he knocked over and over : at 
last, one came to the door, and asked who was there. 

Christian. Sir, here is a traveller, who was bid by an 



FROM THE GATE TO THE CROSS. 55 



acquaintance of the good man of this house to call here 
for my profit : I would therefore speak with the master 
of the house. 

So he called for the master of the house ; who, after 
a little time, came to Christian, and asked him what he 
would have. 

Christian. Sir, I am a man that am come from the 
City of Destruction, and am going to the Mount Zion: 
and I was told by the man that stands at the gate at the 
head of this way, that, if I called here, you would show 
me excellent things, such as would be a help to me in 
my journey. 

Interpreter. Come in ; I will show thee that which 
will be profitable to thee. 

So he commanded his man to light the candle, and 
bade Christian follow him. ... So he took him by the 
hand, and led him into a very dark room, where there 
sat a man in an iron cage. 

Now the man, to look on, seemed very sad ; he sat 
with his eyes looking down to the ground, his hands 
folded together, and he sighed as if he would break his 
heart. Then said Christian, " What means this ? " At 
which the Interpreter bid him talk with the man. 

Then said Christian to the man, " What art thou ? " 
The man answered, " I am what I was not once." 

Christian. What wast thou once ? 



56 THE GATE AND THE CROSS. 



Man. I was once fair and flourishing . . . both in my 
own eyes and also in the eyes of [the angels]. 

Christian. Well, but what art thou ? 

Man. I am now a man of despair, and shut up in it, 
as in this iron cage. I cannot get out : O, now I cannot ! 

Christian. But how earnest thou into this condition ? 

Man. I left off to watch, and be sober : I laid the 
reins upon the neck of my lusts ; I sinned against the 
light of the world, and the goodness of God : I have 
grieved the Spirit, and he is gone ; I tempted the Devil, 
and he is come to me ; I have provoked God to anger, 
and he has left me ; I have so hardened my heart. 

[Then Christian turned to the Interpreter and asked 
who the man really was ; and the Interpreter said that 
he represented the first Adam, in the hour when he fell 
from holiness to depravity, sovereignty to slavery, joy to 
despair ; and that he had begotten children after his own 
likeness.] 

THE LAST ADAM. 

. . . Then the Interpreter had him into a private room, 
and bade his man open a door ; the which when he had 
done, Christian saw the picture of a very grave person 
hang up against the wall ; and this was the fashion of it : 
it had eyes lifted up to heaven, the best of books in his 
hand, the law of truth was written upon his lips, the 



FROM THE GATE TO THE CROSS. 57 



world was behind his back : it stood as if it pleaded with 
men ; and a crown of gold did hang over its head. 

Then said Christian, " What meaneth this ? " 

Interpreter. The man whose picture this is, is one of 
a thousand ; He can beget children, travail in birth with 
children, and nurse them Himself when they are born. 

And whereas, thou seest Him with His eyes lift up to 
heaven, the best of books in His hand, and the law of 
truth writ on His lips, it is to show thee that His work 
is to know, and unfold dark things to sinners ; even as 
also thou seest Him stand as if He pleaded with men. 

And whereas thou seest the world as cast behind Him, 
and that a crown hangs over His head, that is to show 
thee, that slighting and despising things that are present, 
for the love that He hath to His master's service, He is 
sure in the world that comes next to have glory for His 
reward. . . He is the only man whom the Lord of the 
place whither thou art going, hath authorized to be thy 
guide in all difficult places thou mayest meet in the way 

[Then Christian inquired the name of the man in the 
picture, and the Interpreter replied : " This is the last 
Adam, The Man from Heaven, as He lived when on 
earth : in the world but not of it (John 17 : 16), leading 
men to seek things above, prepared to die for sinners, and 
to enter upon the glory to follow. Now, having purged 
our sins, He is crowned with glory and honor (Heb. 1:3; 



58 THE GATE AND THE CROSS. 



2 : 6, 9) ; and by His Spirit having returned to the 
earth, He is now begetting anew the children of the first 
Adam, unto righteousness and true holiness (John 3:5; 
Eph. 4 : 24), calling them unto liberty (Gal. 5 : 1), and 
filling them with joy" (John 15 : 11).] 

THE TWO ADAMS IN THE EPISTLE. 

Romans 5 : 12-21. 

[The Interpreter and Christian are supposed to be in the room 
just described in the Story.] 

The Interpreter, in order to explain and emphasize 
the oneness of believers with Christ, that " at-one-ment " 
of which Christian sang (5 : 11), and the abundance of 
grace resulting, points out to Christian two Adams, 
fathers and representative heads of two races, the human 
race, and the race of believers : the first Adam, with all 
men from him and in him, being identified in nature 
and destiny, and so found shut up together in the same 
cage of condemnation and despair ; the last Adam, with 
all believers from Him and in Him, bearing, in like 
manner, a common identity, and found free, reigning and 
rejoicing together. 

12. Wherefore as by one man sin entered into the world, and 
death by sin ; and so death passed upon all men for that all have 
sinned : 

13. (For until the law, sin was in the world: but sin is not 
imputed where there is no law. 



FROM THE GATE TO THE CROSS. 59 



14. Nevertheless, death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over 
them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, 
who is the figure of him that was to come. 

15. But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if 
through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of 
God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath 
abounded unto many. 

16. And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift. For the 
judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many 
offences unto justification. 

17. For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much 
more they which receive abundance of grace, and of the gift of 
righteousness, shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.) 

18. Therefore, as by the offence of one judgment came upon all 
men to condemnation, even so by the righteousness of one, the free 
gift came upon all men unto justification of life. 

19. For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, 
so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. 

20. Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. 
But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound : 

21. That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace 
reign through righteousness unto eternal life, by Jesus Christ our 
Lord. 

Interpreter. Wherefore, (verse 12), as by one man 
sin entered into the world, and death by sin ; and so 
death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned, — 

[Here the Interpreter would have added, in order to 
complete the sense, what he says afterwards in verses 
eighteen and nineteen, but Christian interrupts him with 
a question, and so he pauses in the midst of his sentence, 
in order to reply.] 

Christian. You say (verse 12) that death entered the 



6o THE GATE AND THE CROSS. 



world on account of Adam's sin, and yet that death 
passed upon all, for that all sinned (R. V.) : how is that ? 
Do you mean all sinned and died in Adam, or Adam 
and everybody else only sinned and died each for himself ? 

Interpreter. I will explain (verses 13, 14). During 
the whole period from Adam to Moses men were sinful, 
indeed, but there was no express law given to them (as 
there had been to Adam,) which forbade sin and threatened 
death as a penalty, so that their individual sins could not 
have been reckoned as transgressions necessarily involving 
death. Nevertheless, all, in common with Adam, suffered 
death : but as Adam's death was inflicted only as the 
penalty of broken law, and as all died, all must have been 
reckoned as transgressors of some law; and the question 
is, What law ? 

As no law was given to any one but Adam until the 
time of Moses, we must needs go back to the law given 
to Adam, and understand that he was constituted the 
federal head of humanity, and that his sin against law 
was reckoned as the sin of all his descendants against law ; 
so that the death penalty which fell upon him, fell also 
upon every member of the human family. 

And moreover, Adam, as this head and representative, 
is a figure of another to come as the second and -last 
Adam. 

[Here, again, the Interpreter would possibly have 



* 



FROM THE GATE TO THE CROSS. 61 



resumed the thread of his discourse, and completed 
the parallel (as in verses 18, 19), but he is a second time 
interrupted by Christian, who catches at the words 
" figure of him that was to come " (verse 14) ; and, as if 
anticipating what was about to be said, puts in another 
question.] 

Christian. Is the parallel exact in all respects ? Did 
the last Adam merely restore our former estate of 
happiness ? 

Interpreter. (Verse 15,) Nay : the sphere of grace far 
exceeds the range of sin. Much greater benefits are 
received by believers through the last Adam than 
were forfeited by the human race through the first Adam ; 
and for instance : 

Condemnation (verse 16,) came upon all for the one 
offence, but grace justifies believers not only from their 
one offence in the first Adam, but also from a multitude of 
offences in themselves. 

And (verse 17), though death, the penalty, reigned 
indeed over the first Adam's posterity, yet the posterity 
of the last Adam not only have the penalty removed 
(whereby they might live on in the low estate in which 
they were born at first), but they are exalted in and with 
their risen Head, to reign in turn over death ; even its 
possibility, in an endless and righteous life. 

[The Interpreter having thus met the questions raised 



62 THE GATE AND THE CROSS. 



by Christian, and having somewhat, by his replies, 
brought the thought back to its -first connection, now re- 
sumes his unfinishd statement in verse twelve ; first re- 
peating, in substance (first clause verse eighteen), his 
former remarks, and then completing the parallel.] 

Interpreter. (Verses 18, 19,) Therefore, as by one 
offence unto all men for condemnation, even so by one 
righteousness unto all men for justification of life : for 
as by one man's disobedience many were made # sinners, 
so by the obedience of One shall many be made righteous. 

[Christian, apparently satisfied regarding the relation 
as explained, between law, sin and death, as far as it 
covers the period between Adam and Moses (verse 14), 
now desires to know something concerning the same 
relation since the time of Moses, and whether the new 
expression of law brought in by Moses, has in any wise 
changed that relation.] 

Christian. Sir, one question yet remains. Since, as 
you have shown (verses 13, 14), from Adam to Moses all 
were condemned by the law given to Adam, and since all 
living after Moses must be for the same reason condemned, 
as all descend alike from Adam, why then was the law of 
Moses introduced, with its new commandments and 
penalties ? Or, in other words, why, since all dwellers 



* Greek, " rendered," or " constituted." 



FROM THE GATE TO THE CROSS. 63 



in the City of Destruction are as much condemned as 
those in the Village of Morality — as I learned from 
Evangelist (3 : 1-20), and as I felt myself to be true 
before I left the City of Destruction (1 : 18-32), or ever 
came near Mt. Sinai (2 : 1-16) — why, I ask, does Mt. 
Sinai stand outside the gate, impending over the Village 
of Morality, and where pilgrims, such as *I was, already 
condemned, and from a doomed city, happening near, 
should tremble all the more ? 

Interpreter. (Verses 20, 21). The law of Moses 
prescribing righteousness, entered, not with expectation 
of saving any, but that the offence already committed 
through Adam, might abound ; that is, become more 
manifest in its spirit and effect : in other words, that the 
sinfulness of humanity, inbred from Adam as a portion 
of the penalty of his sin, might, by being aroused against 
the holy commandments, become more evident, and so 
be forced to see its hopelessness and helplessness ; and 
thus be used to usher in the necessity, efficacy and glory 
of superabounding grace through Christ, the second and 
last Adam. Or, in still other words, as shown you before 
very briefly by Goodwill (4: 1-25), Mt. Sinai was so 
placed, not to save pilgrims, and so take the place of the 
gate (3 : 21-26), but in order to make them feel more 
surely the necessity for the gate, driving them away from 
the folly of seeking Legality's system of good works,as a 



64 THE GATE AND THE CROSS. 



process of atonement tot disobedience to one law by obedience 
to another, or for disobedience in spirit by obedience in 
letter. 

The Interpreter here conducted Christian from the 
room, and they passed into another, containing " Passion " 
and " Patience." 

2. PASSION AND PATIENCE. 

Passion and Patie?ice, or the carnal and the spiritual 
nature or disposition, are the respective offspring and out-come 
of the natural and the spiritual Adam ; like producing like. 
Paid and Bunyan teach the same truth here, though the latter 
has more to say as to the outward conflict between the 
regenerate and tmregenerate, while the former, though noticing 
this, teaches more particularly of the corresponding conflict 
within the believer, in that he is one who has been born of 
both Adams, and so has inherited the disposition of each. 
And there is a hint of this view also, here in Bunyan. 

PASSION AND PATIENCE IN THE STORY. 

I saw, moreover, in my dream, that the Interpreter 
took him by the hand, and handed him into a little 
room, where sat two little children, each one in his chair. 
The name of the eldest was Passion, and the name 
of the other Patience. Passion seemed to be much 
discontented, but Patience was very quiet. Then 



FROM THE GATE TO THE CROSS. 65 



Christian asked, " What is the reason of the discontent 
of Passion ? " The Interpreter answered " The Governor 
of them would have him stay for his best things, till the 
beginning of the next year ; but he will have all now : 
but Patience is willing to wait." 

Then I saw that one came to Passion, and brought 
him a bag of treasure, and poured it down at his feet ; 
the which he took up, and rejoiced therein, and withal 
laughed Patience to scorn. But I beheld but awhile, 
and he had lavished all away, and had nothing left him 
but rags. 

Then said Christian to the Interpreter, " Expound this 
matter more fully to me." 

Interpreter. These two lads are figures ; Passion of 
the men of this world, and Patience of the men of that 
which is to come : For, as here thou seest, Passion will 
have all now, this year : that is to say, in this world ; so 
are the men of this world ; they must have all their good 
things now ; they cannot stay till next year, that is, until 
the next world, for their portion of good. That proverb, 
A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush, is of more 
authority with them than are all the divine testimonies 
of the good of the world to come. But as thou sawest, 
that he had quickly lavished all away, and had presently 
left him nothing but rags, so will it be with all such men 
at the end of this world 



66 THE GATE AND THE CROSS. 



Christian. Then I perceive it is not best to covet 
things that are now : but to wait for things to come. 

Interpreter. You say truth : For, the things that are 
seen are temporal : but the things that are not seen, 
eternal. But though this be so, yet since things present, 
and our fleshly appetite, are such near neighbors one to 
another ; and again, because things to come, and carnal 
sense, are such strangers one to another ; therefore it is 
that the first of these so suddenly fall into amity, and 
that distance is so continually between the second. 

PASSION AND PATIENCE IN THE EPISTLE. 

Romans 6 : 1-23. 

[The Interpreter and Christian supposed to be together in the 
room mentioned in the story.] 

A conversation between the Interpreter and Christian 
as to the propriety and feasibility of the believer, now 
that his sin is put away by his association with the 
second and last Adam, continuing to indulge in sin. 

The pilgrim now proposes two questions to the 
Interpreter, which are severally answered, giving us two 
sections of the chapter for consideration, viz: Verses 1- 
14; i5- 2 3- 

These questions of the pilgrim are seen to be logically, 
though carnally suggested ; partly by what the Interpreter 
has previously said, and partly by what the pilgrim has 
experienced on his way to the Interpreter's house. 



FROM THE GATE TO THE CROSS. 67 



Christian 's first question concerning Passion and Patience. 
Romans 6 : 1-14. 

1. What shall we say then ? Shall we continue in sin, that 
grace may abound ? 

2. God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any 
longer therein ? 

3. Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus 
Christ were baptized into his death ? 

4. Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death : that 
like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the 
Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 

5. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his 
death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection : 

6. Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the 
body of sin might be destroyed that henceforth we should not 
serve sin. 

7. For he that is dead is freed from sin. 

8. Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also 
live with him : 

9. Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no 
more ; death hath no more dominion over him. 

10. For in that he died, he died unto sin once, but in that he 
liveth, he liveth unto God. 

11. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto 
sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. 

12. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye 
should obey it in the lusts thereof. 

13. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteous- 
ness unto sin : but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are 
alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteous- 
ness unto God. 

14. For sin shall not have dominion over you : for ye are not 
under the law, but under grace. 

Christian. Sir, you have just shown (Rom. 5 : 15-21), 
that the second and last Adam came to supersede the 



68 THE GATE AND THE CROSS. 



first Adam ; and moreover, that He wrought so effectively 
that grace more than saved, even abounding over sin ; 
and in such a way that, so to say, sin being the occasion 
of grace, made grace abound, enhancing the glory of its 
saving power ; and this I also felt to be true when I had 
passed the Wicket Gate, and sang the praise of grace. 
Wherefore, Sir, I would know whether we pilgrims may 
not continue to sin (verse i,) in order that grace may 
continue to abound in continual saving ? 

Interpreter. (Verse 2,) God forbid ! How shall we 
who are dead * to sin live any longer therein ? Do you 
not comprehend (verse 3,) how those who are baptized 
into Christ are baptized into His death ? into an associa- 
tion and fellowship with the import, scope and power of 
His death, that act of His whereby He united us with 
Himself, He assuming our place and character, that we 
might assume His ? and moreover, how, if we are baptized 
into His death, we are, consequently (verse 4), baptized 
also into that accompani?7ie?it of His death which marked 
its completness, namely, His burial} to the end that, 
being in Him by burial, we might be identified with Him 
also in His next act, His resurrection, and in all its import, 
scope and power, so as to be able to walk with Him in all 
the newness of that life which He received from the Father ; 



*" Who died." R. V. 



FROM THE GATE TO THE CROSS. 69 



in all its newness of character as well as occasion ? For 
if (verse 5,) the significance of His death be ours, in that 
it was only as the planting of a seed with expectation of 
a new growth, surely it follows that we share also in the 
significance of His resurrection, in that it was the spring- 
ing up of that seed in the new growth. 

Now, therefore, comes the need, for practical purposes, 
of knowing just what is the significance of his death and 
resurrection, and ours with Him ; that is, of getting some 
definite conception of the spiritual import, scope and 
power of these acts (verses 6-14). For, though we 
understand wherefore He died and rose, that it was in 
our behalf, we may not equally perceive wherein and 
whereunto He died and rose. 

First, then, as to His death, and ours with him (verses 
6, 7) : we are to know that (verse 6) our old man, the first 
Adam in us, or " Passion," was crucified on the cross 
of Jesus Christ, who died only as the representative 
and substitute of the evil in us, being " in the likeness of 
sinful flesh " (Rom. 8 : 3), and " made sin for us " (2 Cor. 5 : 
21), and "a curse for us" (Gal. 3 : 13), for the express 
purpose that the body of sin, that is, our entire unredeemed 
man, this mortal body and its fleshly belongings,* which 
so long controlled us, might be rendered impotent for 

* The writer recognizes the theological distinction, so plain in the 
Greek, between the body and the flesh. 



7o THE GATE AND THE CROSS. 



evil, be nullified,* that henceforth we should not serve 
sin. 

For (verse 7,) one who has died (as Christ has, and as 
we believers have with Christ), and thus undergone the 
full penalty of sin, is surely thereafter legally free from 
sin as the master. 

But (verse 8,) if we are thus dead with Him unto sin, 
unto all its claims and power, it follows, as already in a 
measure seen (verses 4, 5), that as He lives again, so shall 
we, and with the same significance of resurrection. 

And therefore, in the second place, we are to have a 
proper conception of the significance of His resurrection : 
knowing not merely wherefore it was, that is, for us, in 
our behalf, but knowing also wherein and whereunto it was : 
namely (verse 8), that it was with no more possibility of 
death, but with triumph over it. And this surely follows 
(verse 9), because His death once for all ended the reign 
of sin over Him, and so the reign of death, which is the 
penalty of sin ; and therefore His new life is a righteous 
life unto God, as well as an endless life. 

So then (verse 11), having died and risen ourselves 
through our Lord Jesus Christ, in like respects wherein 
and whereunto He died and rose for us, we should recko?i 
ourselves dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God ; having 



* So Greek : "done away," R. V. 



FROM THE GATE TO THE CROSS. 71 



new righteousness, united with new life through Christ, 
the second and last Adam ; that is, having justification and 
regeneration, summed up in the proof of it in us, a new 
nature or disposition, "Patience," so-called. 

Let us (verse 12,) use, to advantage therefore, this new, 
righteous life received : let us live and move in its power : 
let not sin reign in your mortal body, in the semblance of 
which body, even in Christ's body, made "in the likeness 
of sinful flesh" (8 : 3), sin's reign hath ceased, — 

[Here the Interpreter paused, even in the midst of the 
sentence, not because he desired to add anything, but 
because he noticed Christian's look of wonderment at the 
paradox that believers should be urged to become what they 
already so clearly are ; as if some secret and fatal possibility 
of meaning lurked in the Interpreter's words, somewhere 
between what was actual and what was practical. 

The Interpreter therefore recalled to Christian's mind 
some things which had been told him already, and reminded 
him moreover, of some things which he had experienced 
on the way thus far, and cited, besides, numerous passages 
of Scripture to confirm and unite his explanations : and 
this is the sum of what he taught for the pilgrim's private 
ear : 

" Remember this two-fold fact, that as a saved believer, 
you have died unto sin and risen unto righteousness with 
Christ by imputation, and Christ hath died and risen 



72 THE GATE AND THE CROSS. 



unto the same end in you by regeneration. To particu- 
larize, — at the risk of seeming tedious — let us notice 
these statements in the order named, that we may see 
their associated power in salvation. 

"As to the first statement: We lately viewed our 
relation to the two Adams (5 : 12-21), and saw the sec- 
ond and last Adam to be the head and representative of 
all believers ; and that by divine imputation His death 
unto sin is reckoned as their death unto sin (6 : 6-1 1), 
and His resurrection unto endless righteousness of life as 
their resurrection unto the same. Moreover, you saw 
for yourself, at the Wicket Gate of faith (3 : 21-26), that 
your own righteousness availed not, but that the death of 
Christ atoned for your unrighteousness, and a righteous- 
ness apart from works was accounted yours through 
faith. Thenceforth you felt that Christ's death stood 
for yours, and His resurrection for yours, in that by the 
one, your sins were reckoned as having been placed upon 
Him, and by the other, His righteousness upon you ; 
Christ, in His acts of death and resurrection, having 
become the believer's substitute through the divine impu- 
tation (4 : 25). 

" Yet more than this, as I have already shown, is gra- 
ciously secured to believers through divine imputation. 
For not only our sins, but our sinfulness, that is, our 
innate depravity, is reckoned as wholly put away from 



FROM THE GATE TO THE CROSS. 73 



us, since our very ' old man ' itself, all the possibility and 
power of the first Adam in us, as witnessed in his inborn 
offspring, 'Passion,' so-called, 'was crucified with Christ' 
(6 : 6, R. V.). Christ in His death and burial having 
personified it, was thus divinely and graciously identified 
with it in condemnation and execution, in order that we, 
as those whose faith is enlightened to apprehend this 
gracious significance of the atonement, might realize and 
rejoice in our deliverance from an association with ' our 
old man '. Thus, by divine imputation, such a perfect 
righteousness becomes ours as we enter the Wicket Gate 
of faith, that the presence of the flesh still within, is 
ignored as to justification. Yet, with all this occasion for 
joy, in our realization of perfect judicial righteousness, 
that we are ' complete in Him ' (Col. 2 : 10,) who is the sec- 
ond and last Adam, and Head over all things to the 
Church, if we see no more, we see but in part : and there- 
fore we are now to notice the second statement. 

"You, as a believer, are in Christ not only imputa- 
tively, but also actually, since you are not only justified, 
but because justified, regenerated : having been born of 
His spirit, and so being of Him, His nature is actually in 
you. In this new nature, or new disposition, 4 Patience ', 
so-called, there is to be found not an imputed or judicial 
righteousness, but a created and actual righteousness. 
You are a new creation in Christ, for a new creation of 



74 



THE GATE AND THE CROSS. 



Christ is in you (2 Cor. 5 : 17). As to the 'new man', 
you are begotten, not of man, through the first Adam ; 
and so are not ' flesh,' as one * born of the flesh ' ; but are 
' spirit ', because begotten of the Holy Spirit (John 1:12, 
13 ; 3 : 6). In Christ, as to the new disposition, or ' new 
man ', you are renewed in knowledge after the image of 
the Creator, and created in righteousness and true holi- 
ness (Col. 3:10; Eph. 4:24). Herein you are not only 
in Christ, but of Christ ; you are not only justified, but 
(2 Peter 1 : 4) you are become a partaker of the Divine 
nature. 

" Remember you not how your consciousness affirmed 
all this when you sang (5 : 1-11) after passing the gate ? 
How all things seemed different within as well as with- 
out ? What new peace, joy, hope and love you found as 
an accompaniment and consequent of being justified by 
faith ? How you evidently felt conscious not only of 
being made righteous apart from the law (3: 21), but 
also of being made ' alive apart from the law ' (7 : 9, 
R. V.) < alive from the dead ' (6 : 13.) ? 

" Henceforth it is certain, therefore, you are not only 
imputatively, but also actually in Christ, having His 
nature (8 : 9). 

" Is the question of continued sinning to be enter- 
tained, since you are thus both imputatively and actually 
dead to sin, and (6 : 12,) to so reckon yourself? How 



4 



FROM THE GATE TO THE CROSS. 75 



(6 : 2,) can it be that those who have died to sin should 
live any longer therein ? But here again comes the puz- 
zle : why urge you, O believer, to be what you are ? Let 
us meet the paradox. 

"As yet you are but in part actually, what you are. 
altogether imputatively. Imputation is unhindered by 
actualities ; it is prophetic, and calleth those things that 
are not as though they were (4: 17). The actual out- 
come of grace is limited by the present, but the imputed 
outcome is limitless, being both retrospective and pros- 
pective, extending from the eternal purpose to the eter- 
nal fulfillment of God, who chose us in Christ before 
the foundation of the world (Eph. 1 : 4), and will present 
us faultless at His coming (Jude 24). 

" But if we would solve the problem of the practical, we 
must deal with the limitations of actual grace as well as 
with the completeness of imputed grace. 

" The redemption though complete in Christ for us, is 
not complete in us while as yet we remain in the unresur- 
rected body. For our redemption in the fullest regard, 
we yet wait and hope, ' being burdened ' (8 : 11, 18-25). 

" But to go back a little for clearer light. We have 
seen (5 : 12-21,) that as surely as we in our natural state 
were by imputation in the first Adam when he sinned, 
and so were condemned, so surely were we as believers 
in the second Adam when, having ended our sin on the 



76 THE GATE AND THE CROSS. 



cross, He rose again for our justification, and so are jus- 
tified. It is also plain that the second Adam's nature is 
no more surely inherited by us through our spiritual birth, 
than the first Adam's nature through our natural birth 
(i Cor. 15 : 48 ; John 3 : 6). In view of our descent from 
Adam the ' old man ' is in us ; and in view of our descent 
from Christ, the new man ' is in us. Therefore, as to 
the matter of native disposition, we are actually, so to say, 
a dual, or two-fold, of both Adams ; though imputatively 
we are only a singular, of the second Adam. 

" Consequently, when we come to consider the sphere 
of practical righteousness, we must take note of both 
thiese phases of our personality ; or, so to speak, of both 
' Passion ' and ' Patience ' within us. Grace would have 
the righteousness in ' Patience ' nullify the evil in 1 Pas- 
sion ' ; and indeed Grace has provided for just such a 
practical righteousness by the cross of Christ, as you 
shall yet discover. I exhort, therefore, that you become 
practically, what you are by grace imputatively, and by 
regeneration actually ; that is, that you daily live and act 
wholly in the power of your spiritual resurrection, with 
Christ, and altogether disconnected from the weight of 
your fleshy death with Adam ; in other words, as if 
' Patience ' alone existed, and ' Passion ' was annihilated. 
' Seeing that you have put off the old man . . . and have 
put on the new man' (Co]. 3 : 9, 10), I therefore exhort 



FROM THE GATE TO THE CROSS. 77 



that you ?iow do henceforth 1 put off the old man ' and ' put 
on the new man ' " (Eph. 4 : 22, 24). 

The Interpreter now seeing the look of doubt clear 
away from Christian's countenance, proceeded as before.] 

Interpreter. Let not (verse 12,) sin reign in your mor- 
tal body, that you should obey it in the lusts thereof. 
Neither (verse 13,) yield your members as instruments of 
unrighteousness unto sin ; but yield yourself unto God 
as one that is alive from the dead (be what you are f), and 
your members instruments of righteousness unto God. 
For sin (verse 14,) shall not have dominion over you, for 
you are not under law, but under grace. 

[Here the Interpreter was about to show Christian how 
thoroughly he was no longer under the law ; moreover, how 
thoroughly sin's dominion ceased with the cessation of 
the law's dominion ; and finally, how the practical advan- 
tage of all this was to be reached ; namely, as already 
urged, by becoming what he was ; that is, by living and 
acting like one not under the law, but under grace (7 : 1- 
13). But now he paused to hear Christian.] 

CHRISTIAN'S SECOND QUESTION CONCERNING 
PASSION AND PATIENCE. 

Romans 6 : 1 5-23. 

The Interpreter points out the distinction and connec- 
tion between our legal condition and our voluntary con- 
dition. 



7 8 THE GATE AND THE CROSS. 



15. What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, 
but under grace ? God forbid. 

16. Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to 
obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey ; whether of sin unto 
death, or of obedience unto righteousness ? 

17. But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin ; but ye 
have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was deliv- 
ered you. 

18. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of 
righteousness. 

19. I speak after the manner of men, because of the infirmity of 
your flesh : for as ye have yielded your members servants to 
uncleanness and to iniquity, unto iniquity ; even so now yield your 
members servants to righteousness, unto holiness. 

20. For when ye were the servants, of sin, ye were free from right- 
eousness. 

21. What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now 
ashamed ? for the end of those things is death. 

22. But now being made free from sin, and become servants to 
God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. 

23. For the wages of sin is death : but the gift of God is eternal 
life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. 

Christian. Sir, allow an interruption. You say (verse 
15,) that because we are not under law but under grace, 
sin [sin inbred, " Passion ", so-called,] shall not have 
dominion over us ; well then, may we not indulge in sin 
[sinning] without a care of consequences, since Sin [" Pas- 
sion "] cannot have the dominion any more, and so shall 
not be able to enslave us as formerly ? 

Interpreter. (Verses 15, 16,) God forbid! This, O 
Christian, is another question suggested by the flesh or 
" Passion " in you, for the possibility of taking it into 



FROM THE GATE TO THE CROSS. 79 



consideration at all, in this discussion with a believer, 
proves the presence of the flesh. But herein is need 
that you look at the practical as well as the judicial bear- 
ing of your question. Do you not know, from the very 
nature of the case, as well as from experience, that con- 
nected with, yet distinct from all considerations of your 
legal position, is your loyal or voluntary position ? Do 
you not see that though sin has lost, and righteousness 
acquired all judicial dominion over you, yet, by your vol- 
untarily running away from the new master, obedience 
or righteousness, to please and serve the old master, sin, 
again, you give the old master practical and temporary 
dominion, and that spiritual death instead of holiness, 
will, so far, result in practice ? 

But (verse 17), thank God! there has been, in your 
case, something more than a merely formal and judicial 
transfer from the service of sin to that of righteousness. 
You have obeyed the gospel from the heart, have been 
born again ; and when (verse 18,) you were emancipated 
legally from sin, you became a willing servant to righteous- 
ness. But yet (verse 19), I urge and point out these dis- 
tinctions, because, through the infirmity of your flesh, or 
" Passion," there is a possibility of your failing in practice. 
Hence I must needs warn you to yield, that is, voluntarily 
surrender yourself now, not only as heartily — which you 
have done, as I said (verse 17,) — but also as entirely, in 



8o THE GATE AND THE CROSS. 



all the powers of your being, even to all your bodily 
members and mental capacities, to the new service and 
its result of holiness, as you once yielded to the old 
service and its result of iniquity ; in order that you may 
(verse 20,) be now as utterly free from the old master as 
you were formerly from the new. And (verses 21-23), as 
an incentive, remember, first, the character of your 
service : that it is to be determined by its fruit, accord- 
ingly as it is iniquity or holiness. By this test it will 
not be difficult for you to know which master to serve. 
And second, remember not only the fruit, but also the 
end of each service : the end of the one being death, 
and of the other everlasting life ; but with this difference 
as to the end, that though death and life follow sin and 
righteousness with equal certainty, yet while death is the 
wages of sin, life is not the wages of righteousness, but — 
unto the praise of grace — is the free gift of God through 
Jesus Christ our Lord ; salvation being not of works, but 
of faith, and faith being not the hand which earns, but 
only the hand which receives eternal life ! 

[Here the Interpreter bade Christian note the practi- 
cal lesson as to what he had taught him (6: 15-23): 
A believer's voluntary indulgence in sin results in his 
practical condemnation, and therefore conscious condem- 
nation, and virtually amounts to getting under the yoke 
of the law again, from which by grace he is emancipated. 



FROM THE GATE TO THE CROSS. 81 



The Interpreter told him further, that now he wished to 
prove the converse (7 : 1— 13) : 

A believer, although under grace instead of law, and 
so not under sin's dominion, will, if he voluntarily parleys 
with the law again, with any hope of obtaining strength 
from it to walk uprightly, assuredly get under the same 
conscious condemnation as formerly ; or, in other words, 
fall from grace (Gal. 5 : 4,) under the practical dominion 
of sin again. 

With that, the Interpreter invited Christian into 
another room.] 

3. THE DUSTY ROOM. 

Christian learns a lesson concerning, the ineradicable 
enmity existing between the law and the flesh, whether the 
flesh as associated with believers or unbelievers ;* and gains a 
hint also concerning the provision of Grace, not for removing 
that enmity, but for subduing the flesh, through death, so that 
the righteousness of the law may prevail. 

THE DUSTY ROOM IN THE STORY. 

Then the Interpreter took Christian by the hand and 
led him into a very large parlor that was full of dust, 
because never swept : the which, after he reviewed it a 
little while, the Interpreter called for a man to sweep. 



* The Epistle, not the Story, shows this as to believers. 



82 THE GATE AND THE CROSS. 



Now, when he began to sweep, the dust began so 
abundantly to fly about, that Christian had almost there- 
with been choked. Then said the Interpreter to a damsel 
that stood by, "Bring hither water, and sprinkle the room ;" 
the which when she had done, it was swept and cleansed 
with pleasure. 

Then said Christian, "What means this ?" 

The Interpreter answered, "This parlor is the heart 
of a man that was never sanctified by the sweet grace of 
the Gospel. The dust is his original sin, and inward 
corruptions, that have defiled the whole man. He that 
began to sweep at first is the Law ; but she that brought 
water, and did sprinkle it, is the Gospel. 

" Now whereas thou sawest, that as soon as the first 
began to sweep, the dust did so fly about that the room 
could not by him be cleansed, but that thou wast almost 
choked therewith, this is to show thee, that the law, instead 
of cleansing the heart (by its working) from sin, doth 
revive, put strength into, and increase it in the soul ; even 
as it doth discover and forbid it, for it doth not give power 
to sue due. Again, as thou sawest the damsel sprinkle 
the room with water, upon which it was cleansed with 
pleasure, this is to show thee, that when the gospel comes 
with the sweet and precious influences thereof to the heart, 
then, I say, even as thou sawest the damsel lay the dust 
by sprinkling the floor with water, so is sin vanquished 



FROM THE GATE TO THE CROSS. 83 



and subdued, and the soul made clean, through the faith 
of it, and consequently fit for the King of glory to inhabit." 

THE DUSTY ROOM IN THE EPISTLE. 

Romans 7 : I- 1 3. 

[The Interpreter and Christian within the room, together 
with the man with the broom, and the damsel with the 
watering-pot; the former, the Interpreter bids Christian 
to remember, is the Law ; and the latter the Gospel.] 

1. Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the 
law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he 
liveth ? 

2. For the woman which hath a husband is bound by the law to 
her husband so long as he liveth ; but if the husband be dead, she 
is loosed from the law of her husband. 

3. So then, if while her husband liveth, she be married to another 
man, she shall be called an adulteress : but if her husband be dead, 
she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she 
be married to another man. 

4. Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law 
by the body of Christ ; that ye should be married to another, even 
to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit 
unto God. 

5. For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were 
by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death : 

6. But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein 
we were held ; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in 
the oldness of the letter. 

7. What shall we say then ? Is the law sin ? God forbid. Nay, 
I had not known sin, but by the law : for I had not known lust, 
except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet. 

8. But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me 
all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead. 



84 THE GATE AND THE CROSS. 



9. For I was alive without the law once : but when the 
commandment came, sin revived, and I died. 

10. And the commandment which was ordained to life, I found to 
be unto death. 

11. For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, 
and by it slew me. 

12. Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and 
just, and good. 

13. Was then that which is good made death unto me? God 
forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by 
that which is good ; that sin by the commandment might become 
exceeding sinful. 

Interpreter. Now let me proceed to prove my former 
statement (6 : 14), that because we are not under law, but 
under grace, sin shall not have dominion over us ; by 
showing first (verses 1-4), how we are not under law but 
under grace, and how this release from the yoke of the law 
releases us from the dominion of sin ; and second (verses 
5 : 6), how vital to the enjoyment of practical freedom froi7i 
sin it is, to remeniber and act out our freedoin from the law. 

This much is self-evident (verse 1) — for I speak to the 
intelligence of one who knows the law, and its object and 
conditions — that one born under the law is ruled by the 
law as long as he lives, and only as long. The principle 
applies by analogy, for instance, to the marriage relation 
(verse 2). A woman who is married is bound by the law 
to her husband as long as he lives, and would become an 
adulteress by marrying another man ; but on the death of 
her husband, the law which ruled over her concerning him is 



FROM THE GATE TO THE CROSS. 85 



void, so that (verse 3,) she can with all purity marry another, 
and the new contract becomes as inviolable as the old. 

By this, several particulars as to the law may be seen : 
first, that law, in the case of the woman, has a double 
reference : there is the statute law in relation to her hus- 
band ruling over her, and the personal law or authority of 
her husband ruling over her ; and second, that the death of 
her first husband terminates at once, both the force of his 
personal law over her, and of the statute law over her 
relating to him ; so that her new marriage is at once the 
occasion of her passing wholly under the yoke of the 
personal law of her new husband, and of the statute law 
concerning her relation to him as her new husband ; and 
therefore, third, that these two aspects of the law must 
always coalesce in power, and become virtually and 
practically one — the law of either husband, and the law 
concerning either husband standing or falling together ; 
and fourth, that all the sacredness and power of the new 
contract is wholly dependent on the absolute certainty of the 
death which annuls the first contract ; and fifth, that this 
certainty being once fixed, the sacredness and power of 
the new contract is wholly //^dependent of any question 
or aspect of law as associated with the old contract ; 
and therefore, to vary terms, that the death of the first 
husband involves the death of all aspects of law associated 
with him ; and the new marriage involves not only the 



86 THE GATE AND THE CROSS. 



fact of a new husband, but also the necessity of new 
aspects of law. 

Wherefore, my brother in Christ (verse 4), — to make 
the application — as the first husband, together with 
every aspect of law associated with him, is to the woman, 
so is our old man (6 : 6), or old disposition or nature, 
" Passion," along with all aspects of law associated with 
him, now to us believers. 

For as the first husband died, so our " old man" died ; 
died on the cross, in and by the body of Christ, who was 
the representative and substitute of our old man (6 : 6). 

And, as by the death of the first husband the woman 
was free to marry another, with no question as to the 
legitimacy of the marriage, or of service and allegiance to 
the new husband, even so are we released by the death 
of the " old man " in the death of Christ, from all obli- 
gation to and association with him, for the purpose that 
we may be truly, purely and solely married to a new 
husband, even to Christ as risen from the dead, with 
no taint of sin imputed, and under no condemning law, 
but with the likeness of His own immaculate purity ; and 
for the further purpose also, that the resulting fruit and 
service of marriage with the risen Christ might be unto 
God, we ourselves yielding allegiance to Christ, our new 
husband, in the newness of the spirit of God's law,* which 



* Anticipating a little verse 6. 



FROM THE GATE TO THE CROSS. 87 



is love (13 : 10), because yielding allegiance in the new- 
ness, or new love of our spirit, or new man (" Patience,") 
in Christ Jesus, born of His Spirit. 

[The Interpreter here remarked that he would ha ye 
Christian note many points in the analogy, which at first 
hearing might possibly seem to be mere quibbles, irrele- 
vant and far-fetched, but which would nevertheless bear 
consideration, not only to make clearer what had been 
already stated, but also what remained to state ; and which 
would, moreover, he felt quite confident, hereafter aid 
Christian to understand himself better, particularly when 
he came presently to ascend the hill which stood off but 
a short space, as he could see from the window of the 
room in which they now were. Here the Interpreter 
pointed to the hill ; and Christian, as his eye followed 
the direction, shrugged his shoulders a little, and said it 
looked very steep. To which the Interpreter replied, 
that it was steeper to some pilgrims than to others, and 
also shorter, depending much on the weight of the burden 
which they carried up on their backs ; and he added 
that he apprehended it might prove quite steep to 
Christian, as he had noticed Christian felt rather restive 
under his burden already, while they were conversing 
about the law, and because of the carnal character of 
some of the questions which Christian had suggested ; 
but he said he hoped that the hill might not prove long, 



88 THE GATE AND THE CROSS. 



even if it proved steep, and he believed it would not if 
Christian would give good heed to all he learned at his 
house. With that, Christian ceased to look in the direc- 
tion of the hill, and turned to listen to the Interpreter, 
who began at once to state the points of analogy to which 
he had referred. 

SOME ANALOGICAL POINTS. 

(An Episode). 

Interpreter, i. As the woman voluntarily placed her- 
self under the obligations of the first marriage contract 
and under the dominion of her first husband, and no law 
compelled her to the marriage, so our fallen position by 
nature, under the condemnation of the moral law in asso- 
ciation with " our old man," and under his dominion, is 
reckoned as having been voluntary, in that we fell in 
and through the voluntary sin of Adam, as we have 
noticed in discussing the matter of the two Adams (5:12 

-21). 

2. But as when the first marriage was once formed, 
the civil law, though not responsible for the compact, 
recognized and cemented it, binding the woman to her 
husband, so the moral law, though wholly irresponsible 
for our evil association, recognizes it, and concludes us 
under sin, shutting us up to a partnership with the flesh. 

3. And as the civil law by thus binding the woman to 



FROM THE GATE TO THE CROSS. 89 



her first husband, furnishes him with opportunity to exer- 
cise dominion over her, so the moral law, by associating us 
under its curse with the old man, affords opportunity for 
the old man to have dominion over us. (The law entered 
that the offence might abound. Chap. 5 : 20.) 

4. As the death of her first husband released the 
woman at one and the same time from the power of the 
civil law (in that aspect wherein it bound her to her 
husband and to his dominion), so the death of our old 
man on the cross of Christ released us at once from the 
condemning aspect of the moral law which bound us to 
the old man, and to his dominion. 

5. Or, in other words, as the death of the first husband 
involved the death — so to say — of the civil law as to 
that contract, and the death of the law or dominion of 
the first husband, so the death of our old man involved 
the death of the moral law as it pertained to our former 
connection with our old man, and the death of his law 
or dominion. 

6. And conversely, as the death of the civil law, as 
enforcing that contract, together with the death of the 
law of the first husband, implied the death of the first 
husband himself,* so the death of the moral law as to 
our association with the old man, together with the death * 

* Merely a divorce would be judicial death, and an equivalent in 
the argument on this point. 



9o FROM THE GATE TO THE CROSS. 



of the law or dominion of the old man, implies the death 
of the old man himself. 

7. As, when the restraints of both these laws ceased, 
— that of the civil law and the law of her first husband — 
the woman was left free to marry another, of her own 
free will, so, when the condemning restraints of the moral 
law and of the law of our old man ceased, we were left 
free to be married to another, even to the risen Lord 
Jesus. 

8. As when the woman's new marriage has occurred, 
all the sacredness and power of the new contract and of 
the new husband's authority depend upon the certainty 
of the death of the first husband — since his death involves 
the death of all obligations to him — so the sacredness 
and power, the peace and security of our new union with 
Christ depends on the absolute certainty of the death of 
our old man. 

9. And as when the certainty of the death of the first 
husband has been definitely ascertained, the sacredness 
and power of the new marriage and of the new husband 
are assured, and henceforth wholly independent of all 
considerations pertaining to the first contract, as much 
so as if no such marriage had ever taksn place ; so when 
positive assurance is felt of the death of our old man on 
the Cross of Christ, and of his burial in the Sepulcher of 
Christ, the sacredness and power, the peace and security 



FROM THE GATE TO THE CROSS. 91 



of our new union with the risen Christ is understood and 
enjoyed, and confidently known to be entirely unaffected 
by any questions as to our former condemned and lost 
estate under sin. 

10. It is moreover clear, that as the woman was as 
thoroughly freed by her first husband's death, from all 
former relations with him, and obligations to him, as if she 
had died herself, so the death of our old man on the cross, 
enduring in the person of Jesus the full penalty of our sin, 
frees us as thoroughly from sin's dominion and condemna- 
tion as our own death there ; and so, in a sense, we did die 
there, and sin and death are past. 

That is to say, we are as truly dead to the old man 
and the associated aspects of law, as the old man and 
those aspects of law are dead to us, by the body of 
Christ. 

11. As, after the woman has voluntarily entered into a 
new marriage relation, it is the very same civil law that 
bound her before which binds her again, but yet to a 
new husband ; so, after we have of free will accepted of 
our new husband, the risen Christ, it is the same moral 
law that presides over the new union which presided over 
the old, binding us in it. Only now it is the law in its 
spirit, while formerly in its letter. 

12. But as the woman's new husband, being another 
man, with a different personality and character, would 



THE GATE AND THE CROSS. 



exert his dominion over her with a different purpose and 
manner from that in which her first husband expressed 
his authority, so our new husband, the risen Christ, 
standing in infinite contrast with our former husband, 
the flesh, or old man, exerts His control over us very 
differently ; even with the gentleness and solicitude of 
love ; while the dominion of the old man was. always 
tyrannical and degrading. 

13. And as the woman, if her first husband was evil- 
disposed, felt, as long as she remained with him, not only 
the despotism of his power, but the despotism also of the 
civil law which afforded him the opportunity for power, 
so our first husband, being evil, we not only suffered 
thereby, but painfully felt the weight of the moral law 
which both concluded us under sin, and shut us up to the 
degrading association, without hope of escape until the 
old man should die. 

14. And as the woman, in such a case, would more 
or less continually, and might, at times, painfully feel 
this oppression of the civil law, and could in no wise 
release herself from this feeling by any efforts to observe 
and approve of any other statutes of the civil law pertain- 
ing to citizenship, or succeed in making the civil law, as 
a whole, seem agreeable and good to her, or feel any love 
for the framers of it ; so we, while married to the flesh, 
could only feel enmity to the moral law which condemned 



FROM THE GATE TO THE CROSS. 93 



and bound us; and all so-called service to any command- 
ment of the law never lessened the enmity we indulged 
against the law as a whole, or made us any more loving 
towards God, the author of the law ; our service being 
only constrained, and in the deadness of the letter. 

15. And as the woman, if her new husband is kind 
and loving, serves him from the force of affection, with- 
out thought of the constraint of the civil law ; which would 
in consequence seem good and pleasant in this particu. 
lar, and possibly in every other ; so since our new husband, ■ 
the risen Christ, is infinite in His loving kindness, and 
chiefest among ten thousand, our service to Him is in the 
newness of the spirit of the moral law, or love, which is 
the fulfilling of the law (13 : 10). 

16. Therefore, as thus the civil law may acquire an 
aspect of good or evil to the woman, aside from its 
real integrity, according to the good or evil character 
of the husband to which it binds the woman, so the moral 
law, always spiritual in itself, and holy, just and good 
(7 : 12, 14), acquires a good or evil aspect to us, and over 
us, according as we are married to the flesh or to Christ. 

17. And as the civil law, being thus practically identi- 
fied with the character of either husband, and subservi- 
ent to either, may be considered and called the law of 
either ; so the moral law in the hands of the flesh, becom- 
ing the tyrannical yoke of the flesh, may be fitly termed 



THE GATE AND THE CROSS. 



"the law of sin and death " (7 : 23 ; 8 : 2) ; while in the 
hands of Christ it becomes, and may be called, "the law 
of our inward or new man," or " law of our mind " (7 22, 
23), and " the law of the Spirit " (8 : 2) ; Christ's easy 
yoke (Matt. 11 : 29, 30). 

18. But as the goodness of the civil law can be seen, 
in the midst of all its abuse by the first husband, by the 
fact that it was designed to meet the needs and desires 
of such marriages as that with the second husband, and 
is not responsible for the way in which it may he miscon- 
strued and abused, even so the goodness and perfection 
of the moral law in itself, is discovered to be invariable, 
as it has been ordained unto life, for the wants of the 
new man, although it is found to be only unto death in 
the hands of the old man (7 : 10). 

19. And finally, as the civil law, on finding its ideal of 
marriage reached in the woman's second contract, would 
account it as the very best obedience which the woman 
could render to itself, if she gave her good husband all 
love, reverence and practical service, so the moral law, 
realizing its highest intent in our new union with the 
risen Christ, looks for our most satisfactory obedience to 
its holiest claims, through our unquestioning devotion, 
submission and service to the Lord Jesus only. 

The Interpreter here remarked that he would not take 
time to set forth other points in the analogy, nor would 



FROM THE GATE TO THE CROSS. 95 



he have Christian press some of the points already made 
too far, as in that case the old saying would be verified,' 
that no illustration can go upon all fours. But he said 
that he thought what he had dwelt so particularly upon 
might prove useful hereafter, for though he should 
scarcely refer to the analogy again, it would probably 
come back, in relation to some of the points, to Chris- 
tian's own mind, and so he would now leave the matter 
with him. In what he had further to say, he added, he 
should use for illustrations the man who stood near them 
with the broom, representing the law, and the damsel 
with the watering-pot, representing the gospel. But he 
bade Christian observe that by the aid of the illustration 
already employed from the marriage relation, he had 
fully redeemed his promise to show in what sense we are 
not under the law because we are under grace, and how 
we are not under sin because we are not under the law. 

" And yet," he added in a lower tone, " the proof may 
not seem clear to you just yet, but surely will when asso- 
ciated and fortified with additional illustrations." With 
that he returned to his discourse.] 

Interpreter. Now then again (verses 5, 6), let me turn 
to the practical side of doctrines, and urge you to be and 
act as free from the law, and so from sin's dominion, in 
daily life, as you are free already imputatively — and 
actually, as to the " new man " — by union with the risen 



96 THE GATE AND THE CROSS. 



Christ. Else, in spite of your imputed and regenerative 
freedom, you will miss the enjoyment of conscious free- 
dom, through the presence of the flesh within you still ; 
for it will be able to resume its activity and to seize hold 
of the law again, the instant you seize it, and so to yoke 
you under it in bondage. Remember, therefore, to beware 
of the law, as of sin ! For, bear in mind how the law 
was always sin's yoke when we were in the flesh, that 
is, unregenerated. There was no motion of sin — moving 
of sin in the desires or emotions of sin * — no power of 
sin over us except by the law ; that was always the yoke 
sin adopted and appropriated for our subjection ; it lay 
there conveniently at hand, and ready for sin's use ; sin 
rising against us through the law, prevailed by it, work- 
ing out into overt expression in our bodily members, and 
bringing forth fruit unto death. [Here the Interpreter 
motioned to the man with the broom, who by a single 
sweeping stroke sent the dust up in a cloud. The 
Interpreter then continued.] 

So were the motions of sin by the law. 

In all of the sin wrought out in our members, the law 
was sin's ally, and the result was continually and only 
spiritual death. There was no help for us then, no rescue 
from that state of affairs, because then we were under 

* Virtually equivalent to word " lust " below, as both a mental and 
moral state incited by the law. 



FROM THE GATE TO THE CROSS. 97 



the law, having never been under grace. But now being 
under grace, we are delivered from the law ; that law 
being dead (or we having died * to that law) wherein we 
were held, bound to the old man until he should die (or 
we should die to him), in order that we should reach not 
merely the imputed or judicial result, nor even simply the 
blessed actual result in the new nature, but still further, 
in order to reach the completeness of result in a glorious 
practical service to God in newness of spirit ; experienc- 
ing freedom and gladness, instead of degrading, formal 
deadness of service in the oldness of the letter. 

Therefore being now delivered from the law, let us live 
up to the standard of freedom ! Stand fast in the liberty 
wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entan 
gled again with the yoke of bondage (Gal. 5:1); that is, 
the law ! Act as free from the law, as from sin ; else 
bondage to sin will surely come again practically, and 
you will fail to be what you are. For, remember how we 
have seen that the flesh is yet in us, even though we are 
not in the flesh, and that as to the flesh we are unchanged 
in disposition ; and observe that the flesh has lost its 
power to rule, simply by being disassociated from the 
law. Let us beware, then, that the old association be not 
renewed in any degree / 

Imputatively, only by freedom from the law are we 

* So R. V., and the practical end is the same. 



98 THE GATE AND THE CROSS. 



free from sin's dominion ; actually, at the new birth, we 
were freed from sin only because freed from the law ; 
even so then, we can only be practically free from sin by 
freedom from the law. 

[Here a dark cloud of perplexity instantly gathered in 
Christian's countenance, and he broke out with another 
question, as if he could bear to wait no longer.] 

Christian. (Verse 7,) Is the law sin then, that it so 
inevitably plays into the hand of sin ? For, notwith- 
standing all your pains at illustrating and explaining, the 
question will suggest itself. For you strain the paradox 
so unto the utmost, that I cannot help doubting the 
virtue of the law. It seems to be set forth as the for- 
bidden tree of the knowledge of good and evil standing 
right in the midst of the garden of grace, which if we 
touch, we die. And I cannot help wondering whether, 
after all, the law is not the same as sin, and our only 
escape from disaster is to become lawless ! 

Interpreter. (Verse 7,) Nay, good Christian, God for- 
bid! The law's association with sin is forced, and not 
of design. The law and sin are only at enmity, in pur- 
pose and aim ; yet, by this very enmity they have a 
fatal affinity for each other, so that the presence of either 
in activity, invokes that of the other to combat ; when 
the law succumbs, and aids sin's activity, yielding its 
power to condemn us. 



FROM THE GATE TO THE CROSS. 99 



[Here again the man with the broom began to sweep, 
and the dust flew. Then the Interpreter bade Christian 
note that the broom and the dust were not at peace, but 
at war, the purpose of the broom being to drive out the 
dust ; but that the dust instead of yielding, rises by means 
of the broom into the air, and the broom lends it strength 
to do so. Together, they contrive to make the air 
dusty ; yet they are not one and the same. It would be 
to as much purpose to ask whether the broom is the dust, 
as whether the law is sin ; and to as much purpose to 
expect, by throwing away the broom, to get rid of the 
dust, as to throw away the law in order to get rid of sin.] 

Interpreter. Nay, good Christian, the law is not sin ! 
Let me personate the case. I, as a believer, having been 
delivered from the conjoined and reciprocal dominion of 
the law and sin, through Christ, would not have known 
sin's dominion again unless I had looked to the law again, 
and listened to the law forbidding sin, and tried to obey, 
and so got under the law again practically. For, for 
instance, I had not known the sin of coveting,* except the 
law had said to me, " Thou shalt not covet." 

The law is not sinful, or else it would not reveal and 
forbid sin, but would conceal and commend it ; and yet 
the law really incites sin (verse 8). Sin was revealed to 
me by the law, by the very fact that the law incited sin. 



* R. V. 



THE GATE AND THE CROSS. 



Sin within me, in the flesh, hating the commandment 
forbidding sin within me, grappled with the command- 
ment as it caught my ear, and took occasion by the 
commandment to work in me all manner of coveting. 

Apart from the coming of the commandment forbidding 
the indulgence of even an evil desire, I as a regenerated 
believer had not been inclined to indulge in such sin, nor 
been conscious of so doing. 

Therefore, as a general statement, we may say, sin 
apart from the law, was, and is, so to speak, dead, powerless 
to act. Apart from the law, a predisposition to sin was 
present with me, it is true, in the flesh, but it was 
motionless, in the semblance of death, null and void through 
grace (6: 6, 7). 

[ "You see, " said the Interpreter, in a low tone, as he 
looked about him, " how quietly this dust is settling again, 
now that the broom is still ; so that you would not have 
been conscious of there being a latent power in the dust 
to rise up and fill the air, except it had been revealed by 
the strokes; so to say, by ' the coming of the 
commandment ' of the broom to drive out the dust from 
the room ! It was the war between the broom and the 
dust that made the air dusty and deadly. The dust took 
occasion by the stroke of the broom to fly about, and the 
motions of the dust were by the broom. Apart from the 
broom the dust is dead, and must be. What then ? Why, 



FROM THE GATE TO THE CROSS. 101 



it is plain that the broom cannot ' conquer a peace,' and 
it need not try ! "] 

Interpreter. A personal proof to me of the general 
statement just made, that sin apart from the law is inert, 
as it were, "dead ", is the fact, that once, on a well-remem- 
bered occasion, I was " alive apart from the law " (verse 
9) ; namely, at the Wicket Gate ; for there my sin came to 
its death when I obtained " righteousness apart from the 
law'.' (3: 21-28), and when I was born again of the 
Holy Ghost, and by this new birth became "alive." And 
thereupon, consciously discerning the tokens, powers and 
consequences of being made " alive," I sang rejoicingly, 
" Being therefore justified by faith, we have peace with 
God" (5: 1- 11). 

Before I had passed the gate, or knew of the redemption 
through the blood, I never was "alive"; but from birth, 
being in the flesh, and of the first Adam, I was " dead 
in trespasses and sins " (Eph. 2:1). I was dead, spirit- 
ually " dead", because sin was alive in me ; and sin was 
thus alive in me, and had dominion, because I was never 
till then apart from the law, but was under the law, and 
the law was the strength of sin (1 Cor. 15 : 56). But 
when at the gate I died to the law, I died also to sin's 
dominion, and then received, moreover, a new life apart 
from the law, a resurrection life in the risen Christ. Thus, 
it was all " apart from the law ", viz: as to the imputed 



THE GATE AND THE CROSS. 



righteousness of faith, and as to the actually new life, and 
the actual righteousness inherent in the new nature (6 : 
i-n ; 7 : 22 ; Eph. 4: 24); and still further — though 
but for awhile, alas! — as to a consciousness of practical 
righteousness of life. But, by and by, growing forgetful 
as to the fact that my freedom from sin's reign only 
followed freedom from the law, the thought of the holiness 
of the law, as forbidding even an evil desire, together with 
a conscious view of my natural propensity in the flesh to 
evil, in contrast with the law, and in contrast with my 
new nature, which accorded with the law, tempted me 
to try the power of the law to drive away every evil desire 
which tempted and tortured me. 

Then instantly, with the effort to meet the obligations 
of the commandment, new life and power were incited in 
sin, or rather its old life came back again; sin revived; 
and, as a consequence, / died from the practical power 
and conscious enjoyment of the spiritual resurrection life 
in Christ which I had received when sin died. 

And so (verse 10), the commandment which was 
ordained unto life, I found to be unto death. That it 
was ordained, that is, that its invariable design was unto 
life, is plain, in that the law ever opposes and reveals sin, 
as we have seen. It cannot abide sin, but condemns us 
for association with it. 

[Here the Interpreter bade Christian observe that the 



FROM THE GATE TO THE CROSS. 103 



broom was ordained, or designed to rid the room of the 
dust, and cleanse it, and its failure to do this was not 
because of any fault in the design, or ordaining of the 
broom.] 

Interpreter. The secret of my trouble with the law was 
(verse 11), that it failed 'in its design, in that sin proved 
the stronger with me ; and; being incited by the opposing 
law, by the law overcame me ; even deceiving me, as it 
were, by the law, into the use of the law, on purpose to 
slay me ! For, when I saw the law sternly forbidding sin, 
I was inveigled into the use of the law, by the hope that 
the law could expel sin, especially as sin had been so long 
lifeless. But I forgot that sin was only dead apart from 
the law. 

[" See, " said the Interpreter, " how quickly this lately 
passive and lifeless dust springs up the instant it feels 
the broom moving. The broom's power to sweep out the 
dust is not equal to its desire to sweep it out, nor its demand 
that it should leave the room. If, deceived by the evident 
design and desire of the broom, judging by its strong and 
fitly shaped appearance, I begin to use the broom 
vigorously, with expectation of soon and easily cleansing 
the room, I soon discover the mistake, for I nearly 
suffocate with the dust. " The Interpreter then continued 
as before.] 

Interpreter. Wherefore (verse 12), notwithstanding 



104 THE GATE AND THE CROSS. 

the thwarted intent of the law, and its forced association 
and complicity with sin, the law is holy, and the 
commandment not to desire evil is holy, just and good. 

[The Interpreter then told the man to hand the broom 
to Christian for examination ; and would have Christian 
be sure that it was ah excellent broom, perfect in shape, 
finely tipped and bushy, yet compact and strong ; but 
that nevertheless, some of these best qualities proved its 
weakest points when it came to fighting the dust, for the 
larger and more bushy it was, the more dust it would 
reach and arouse ; and also, he would have him remember, 
that the faster and more vigorously it was used, the more 
the dust would fly ; and that the application to sin and 
the law was plain.] 

Interpreter It is therefore clearly seen (verse 13), from 
the whole discussion, that in my urging you to avoid the 
law, this much is certain, that it is not because the law 
is evil in itself, nor — if we look closely — that the tendency of 
the law of itself is deadly • but that it is to be avoided 
because of the associated tendency of sin. While the possi- 
bility for evil is near, as it always is in the flesh, the law's 
design and working are never left to act by their own 
merit. So, strictly speaking, I may not say that the law, 
which is only good in itself .and in its design, became 
the cause of spiritual death to me, but only that it 
became the occasion, inciting sin by forbidding it ; and 



FROM THE GATE TO THE CROSS. 105 



designedly, though unwillingly so, in order to reveal it ; 
bringing out the hateful nature of sin into full view, in 
contrast with, and opposition to, and power by, the holy 
commandment ; in a word, that sin might be revealed to 
be the sole and pre-eminent cause of my death, working 
death in me by that which is good ! 

[With that the man, at a nod from the Interpreter, 
swept more swiftly and vigorously than ever, so that the 
dust rose in clouds, until Christian choked and coughed, 
and ran to a window for breath. Indeed, he was fain to 
leave the room, had not the damsel who had the water- 
ing-pot, being at that moment bidden by the Interpreter, 
quickly sprinkled the floor ; when the dust was soon sub- 
dued, and Christian stayed his steps. But his counte- 
nance showed perplexity, and that he was ill at ease with 
the weight of his burden : and at length, as the Interpreter 
stood silent, watching him, as if puzzled to read the 
cause of his trouble, now that the dust was allayed, and 
they could all breathe with comfort, he broke forth : — 

Christian. Sir, I am still more perplexed than ever at 
putting together some things you have said and illus- 
trated. I cannot see how you arrange and co-ordinate 
several particulars with consistency as to all of them. 
At times, when you have spoken, my heart has lightened 
with the conviction that I had the plan of arrangement, 
and that truth was clear; but then as you have talked on, 



io6 THE GATE AND THE CROSS. 



I have become all , perplexed and mixed again, and it 
seemed all a fine jumble of contradictions. It may be 
that my trouble is owing to my stupidity, or it may be 
owing to the fact of your having a secret means of solu- 
tion for the puzzle which you have not yet stated. If the 
latter is true, please make it known, for at present I can 
come at nothing conclusive by the doctrines you have 
placed together, after severally proving them. For 
instance, you state that (i) the law is good and only 
good, having no evil or evil tendency of itself ; that (2) 
I must not however look to the law to subdue and remove 
sin, even though I am conscious of the presence and 
power of sin in the flesh ; for the reason that (3) the law 
cannot accomplish the subjection of sin, because sin will 
thwart it by perverting its purpose, and using it to sub- 
ject me ; and that (4) as I never did attain to imputed 
righteousness in justification, nor to a new life and actual 
righteousness in regeneration, by means of the law, but, 
on the other hand did surely attain to them all apart 
from the law, why, even so, I never can attain to practical 
and daily spiritual life and righteousness by means of the 
law, but, on the other hand, surely may apart from the 
law; and yet you add, so strangely! that (5) while all 
this is to be apart from the law, that* is, as you have 
explained, apart from my looking to, or applying to the 
law to secure it, yet I am not to throw away the law, and 



FROM THE GATE TO THE CROSS. 107 



become lawless, that is, without law, in the sense of acting 
as if there was no law, or that it had in no case a care as 
to what I might become ; for (6) you have set forth, as 
being too painfully true, that the law as rightfully con- 
demns me, now that I am a believer, when I am not practi- 
cally all that it demands I shall be, both as to righteous- 
ness and spiritual life, as it ever condemned me for not 
being righteous and spiritually alive when I was an unbe- 
liever. 

Now, my dear Interpreter, with all deference allow me 
to say, that in this reasoning there seems to be somewhere 
a screw loose, to use a phrase ; for it is unsatisfactory and 
inconclusive, because apparently inconsistent, or else 
incomplete. Many of the statements seem to hang 
together, being joined by the proofs, but I cannot arrange 
them all, and so untangle the mass, and put the pieces in 
place. Surely it looks as if one thing or the other must 
be true, and if either, that salvation, as at present experi- 
enced, is only an uncomfortable and inconvenient matter, 
after all the pains the Divine Originator of it has taken, 
even not sparing the blood of His Only Begotten Son ! 
For surely it does look as if we were left to retain both 
the law and sin, and yet to let them both alone, that they 
may both keep quiet; because, forsooth, the law is so 
weak a thing that otherwise it can neither protect itself 
from perversion, nor us from condemnation ; just as we 



io8 THE GATE AND THE CROSS. 



are privileged here to keep both the broom and the dust, 
but yet must keep the broom as inactive as the dust, that 
the dust may keep as inactive as the broom ! Surely I 
may well inquire whether this is the utmost grace can do ; 
to keep the law quiet, and let sin remain ? 

Interpreter. Nay, not so fast ! good Christian, not so 
fast ! Your reasoning is all correct, but your final ques- 
tion lacks a grain of hope ; for this is not the utmost that 
grace can and does do for us. And in my reasoning, I 
have wanted to bring you to see the necessity of the 
admission of a new factor into the discussion, in order at 
once to reach a final and happy conclusion ; and also to 
see that this needed factor is provided for abundantly in 
the scheme of grace. It does provide a glorious way for 
subduing sin under the law while the law is active, and 
thus of reconciling us to the law ; not so that we meet 
its approval merely, but practice its precepts, jjd dwell in 
harmony with it; and this as to conscious practical life 
and righteousness, as well as in the other respects before 
noticed. Recall how, just now when you were about to 
leave the room, fearing suffocation, the application of 
water, by the hand of the damsel, allayed the dust, and at 
the same time restored your comfort. This illustrates the 
Gospel's power ! 

Christian. Yes, dear Sir, but is that all? Is the dust 
merely to be subdued for awhile by soaking, and finally 



FROM THE GATE TO THE CROSS. 109 

to be as light, dry and volatile as ever ? What about the 
br oo77i y dear Sir? 

Interpreter. You shall see. 

[With that, he bade the man sweep ; when the dust 
gave no inconvenience, and was easily removed from the 
room. Even very vigorous strokes, and very swift and 
continual strokes found no trouble with the dust, and 
soon the floor looked white and clean. 

The Interpreter then continued.] 

Interpreter. To recur, good Christian, to a figure of 
yours which I have not before noticed in my replies, as 
it now seems fitting to do, the law is indeed like the tree 
of the knowledge of good and evil in the midst of the 
garden of grace, which if we directly touch, we spiritually 
die. But then, remember it was not the tree that was 
dangerous in itself, or in its fruit, for the tree, we are told, 
was pleasant to the eye, and the fruit good for food ; but 
it was dangerous in that it was forbidden ; and it was for- 
bidden because of the knowledge it conveyed; and so, after 
they had eaten, they were debarred as a penalty from the 
tree of life. Even so is the law, somewhat. But as it may 
have been, that had our parents eaten of the tree of life 
first — to conjecture in a harmless way — then permission 
might have been given them to eat of the forbidden tree 
afterwards ; even so is it as to the law. It must not be 
approached directly, bat may be //^directly ; not tmmedi- 



\ 



no THE GATE AND THE CROSS. 

ately, but may be mediately. We must gaze at, and look 
to, and seek help from the law only through the gospel, 
if we would have not only its fatality removed, but also 
its purpose and employment restored ; and this, not 
merely in reference to justification and regeneration, but 
also sanctification. 

Here Christian looked eager to ask for a fuller expla- 
nation as to how to look to the law mediately and not 
///zmediately, and how doing so would avail, but was 
restrained, as the Interpreter said he had told him enough 
now, and he must discover the rest for himself ; for that 
if he explained further, it would only be like stuffing 
him with more than he could digest, and surely prove 
to be but head-knowledge to puff him, by knowing 
without having, and end in a sad snare to his 
faith ; but that Christian would be better prepared to 
experience, as well as learn the secret remaining to be 
told, when he had climbed yonder hill, and come some- 
what to the end of himself at the foot of the cross which 
he would find standing there on the summit, but as a 
beacon out of sight to too many! 

The Interpreter added that he had only one other 
point by way of illustration to make, and that was, that 
although the room now seemed to be perfectly cleansed, 
yet, on letting in the sunbeams there would be found in 
the air much floating dust, otherwise invisible, which had 



FROM THE GATE TO THE CROSS, m 



been set flying by the use of the broom before the floor 
was sprinkled. 

Here the Interpreter, suiting the action to the word, 
threw open a window shutter which had been closed, so 
that the air was flooded with sunshine, and the dust 
revealed. 

He then resumed his thought, and said he would have 
Christian remember that when this dust had again settled 
and accumulated on the floor, there would come another 
call for the joint use of the water and the broom; and 
that so the need would recur every time the mistake was 
made, through any heedlessness, of sweeping before 
sprinkling. He said, moreover, that the spiritual applica- 
tion of all this was evident ; which, in substance, amounted 
to this, viz: that frequently the motions of sin, when 
aroused by the pressure of the law, proved so very subtle, 
and, so to say, volatile, that they intermingled with the 
deeds, words, thoughts and motives of the believer, while 
yet they might remain undiscovered, and even unsuspected 
by his consciousness, until a greater degree of spiritual 
discernment was granted to him through divine illumina- 
tion. 

The Interpreter further remarked that, from what had 
been shown, Christian could see there were two very 
important lessons for him to carry away. And first, that 
he should beware of growing unwatchful and 'self-corn- 



THE GATE AND THE CROSS. 



placent concerning the possible power of any hidden evil, 
lest he might be beguiled into an allowance of sin under 
the mask of infirmity, or of a fault in the disguise of 
an innocent failure ; for that under the somewhat more 
reputable name of " self," the flesh was very wont to 
apologize for its minor outbreaks to the conscience. 
"And yet," he added, in a lower tone, "such bare-faced 
devices ought not so easily to deceive the believer as 
they often do, since anything detected in one's self- 
activity which proves to be a painful interruption to 
spiritual communion and progress, and from which one 
feels a prayerful longing to be delivered, betrays its 
origin and family likeness, as being akin to the old self 
— self swayed by the flesh; and not to the new self — • 
self ruled by the Spirit ; only, of course, it is important 
not to confound temptation with sin, as a sensitive con- 
science may easily do." 

The Interpreter then concluded by saying, that the 
other of the two lessons to be remembered was, that with 
every purpose to remove any recognized impurity from 
the sphere of our life and walk as believers, we should 
bear in mind the relation which Divine Grace has estab- 
lished, and demands shall be maintained between the 
law and the gospel. " Or in other words, remember," 
he exclaimed, "whenever it comes to the question of 
sweeping, 'to use the water first ! mind, the water first /" 



FIFTH GROUP OF PARALLELS 



1. The Cross on the Hill. 

2. The Three Shining Ones. 

3. Christian's Song at the Cross. 



ii4 



¥HAT is sanctification ? In one word, I would say ? 
by justification you are brought by the Holy Ghost 
into Christ Jesus. God takes away the burden of your 
sins, and He takes you, and places you in a new world in 
Jesus Christ ; and sanctification is for me nothing else 
than to dwell in Jesus Christ, to remain in the place 
where the Holy Ghost has put me . . . Oh search the 
Scriptures, and let the Holy Ghost lift up before your 
eyes the person of Jesus, living, dying, risen ; and in 
measure as the Holy Ghost, answering your prayer, 
brings new light on the person of Jesus, you will no more 
ask, " How shall I trust Him ? " You cannot do other- 
wise. — Pastor Stockmayer, 



FIFTH GROUP OF PARALLELS. 



1. The Cross on the Hill. 

2. The Three Shining Ones. 

3. Christian's Song at the Cross. 



1. THE CROSS ON THE HILL. 

Christian leaves the House of the Interpreter as one who 
is learned, rather than educated in the doctrines of truth ; 
being somewhat richer in theory tha?i experience. His spirit- 
ual philosophy, he dimly perceives, needs re-adjustme?it i?i 
order to grasp and arrange what he has heard, and seen 
proved. He finds himself another man from what he felt 
himself to be when he entered the Interpreter's house. Then, 
he was comparatively at rest within himself, for his mind 
was mostly occupied with the f&ct of accomplished justifica- 
tion and consequent regeneration, as found and received at 
the Wicket Gate. His mental and spiritual out-look was 
then in a great degree objective and apart from self-considera- 
tion ; and also, in a great degree, retrospective. Thus he 
gazed at the law, and at sin, and at grace ; the past was 
under the blood, and he was changed, and the law was 
satisfied ; he trembled no more under Sinai, he had passed 



u6 THE GATE AND THE CROSS. 



the gate, he was treading the King's high-way. But the 
words and illustrations of the Interpreter had been to him 
a Deuteronomy, or second giving of the law, as bearing on 
his present rather than past condition ; and his soul had 
been turned to self introspection, only to discover, to his 
amazement, the bitter conflict of good and evil within. And 
as the Interpreter proceeded, he had rejoiced at every gleam 
of hope which his words inspired, as to a possible a?id sat- 
isfactory solution of the problem of grace, law and sin. He 
goes from the house yearning for the possession of the miss- 
ing factor in the argument at which the Interpreter hinted, 
but left to him to discover. 

One thing he clearly sees, as he endeavors to place together 
the factors already given, and that is, that the Interpreter, 
when he personated (7 : 9-13,) the condition of one who has 
fallen from grace into legality {Gal. 5 : 1-4), by turning 
back to the law for help, fully illustrated his own present 
conscious experience as he begins to climb the hill. He clearly 
perceives that his difficulty with the holy law is not now so 
much, as it once was, in regard to past sins and sinfulness, 
but present ; and not so much present sins, as present sin- 
fulness. Moreover, as he ponders all he has heard, and 
studies himself in the light of it, he perceives very clearly 
the proof in himself of what the Interpreter insisted on, that 
the law has no strength to re?nove the evil it -discovers and 
denounces ; and consequently, that the possible experience of 



FROM THE GATE TO THE CROSS. 117 



a Christian may not be a proper Christian experience ; is 
not of necessity the designed and normal experience. But 
not until he reaches the hill-top does he apprehend how 
very abnormal and needless his conscious experie7ice has been 
all the way up ! 

THE CROSS ON THE HILL, IN THE STORY. 

Then said the Interpreter to Christian, Hast thou " con- 
sidered all these things ? " 

Christian. Yes ; and they put me in hope and fear. 

Interpreter. Well, keep all things so in thy mind, that 
they may be as a goad in thy sides, to prick thee forward 
in the way thou must go. 

Then Christian began to gird up his loins, and to 
address himself to his journey. Then said the Interpret 
ter, " The Comforter be always with thee good Christian, 
to guide thee in the way that leads to the city ! " 

So Christian went on his way, saying : 

" Here I have seen things rare and profitable ; 
Things pleasant, dreadful things to make me stable 
In what I have begun to take in hand : 
Then let me think on them, and understand 
Wherefor they showed m3 were, and let me be 
Thankful, O good Interpreter, to thee." 

Now I saw in my dream, that the highway up which 
Christian was to go, was fenced on either side with a 
wall, and that wall was called Salvation. Up this way 



n8 THE GATE AND THE CROSS. 



therefore, did burdened Christian run ; but not without 
great difficulty, because of the load on his back. 

He ran thus till he came at a place somewhat ascend- 
ing, and upon that place stood a cross, and a little below, 
in the bottom, a sepulcher. So I saw in my dream, that 
just as Christian came up with the cross, his burden loosed 
from his shoulders, and fell from off his back, and began 
to tumble, and so continued to do, till it came to the 
mouth of the sepulchre ; when it fell in, and I saw it no 
more ! 

Then was Christian glad and lightsome, and said witji 
a merry heart, " He hath given me rest by his sorrow, 
and life by his death." Then he stood still awhrle to 
look and wonder : for it was very surprising to him that 
the sight of the cross should thus ease him from his bur- 
den. He looked therefore, and looked again, even till 
the springs that were in his head sent the water down 
his cheeks. 

THE CROSS ON THE HILL, IN THE EPISTLE. 

Romans 7: 14-25; 8: 1-4. 

14. For we know that the law is spiritual : but I am carnal, sold 
under sin. 

1 5. For that which I do, I allow not : for what I would, that do I 
not ; but what I hate, that do I. 

16. If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law 
that it is good. 

17. Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth 
in me. 



FROM THE GATE TO THE CROSS. 119 



18. Fori know that in me, that is, in my flesh, dwelleth no good 
thing : for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which 
is good I find not. 

19. For the good that I would, I do not : but the evil which I 
would not, that I do. 

20 Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin 
that dwelleth in me. 

21. I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present 
with me. 

22. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man : 

23. But I see another law in my members, warring against the 
law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin 
which is in my members. 

24. O wretched man that I am ! who shall deliver me from the 
body of this death ? 1 

25. I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with 
the mind I myself serve the law of God ; but with the flesh the law 
of sin. 

1. There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in 
Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. « 

2. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus, hath made me 
free from the law of sin and death. 

3. For what the law could not do, it that it was weak through the 
flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and 
for sin, condemned sin in the flesh : 

4. That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who 
walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 

CHRISTIAN'S SOLILOQUY AS HE CLIMBS 
THE ASCENT. 

Yes, yes, as the Interpreter affirmed, we know that 
(verse 14,) the law is spiritual, all unlike and opposed to 
sin; but consciously, I know the law does not make me 
spiritual. Here I am, as to my practical life and walk, 



THE GATE AND THE CROSS. 



carnal ; actually kidnapped by means of the law, and 
sold as a bond-slave under Sin again, that tyrant whose 
service I once successfully fled ! The temporary, con- 
scious freedom I enjoyed seems, to be in great degree 
departed. Oh ! how heavy, as I study myself in the light 
of God's holy law, my burden grows. Can I ever get up 
this steep, steep hill, and be what I know I ought to be, 
and so long to be ? 

For what (verse 15,) I work out in practice, I do not 
recognize or acknowledge as mine : for not what I would, 
that do I habitually, but what I hate, that I do. And so, 
it is with me a weary round of resolutions and failures, 
repentings and sinnings, day in, day out. I seem to 
make no headway in practice, feeling as far off as ever 
with all my pains, from my ideal : the righteousness 
which God's law demands shall be withi?i me not only, 
but even wrought out through me, and by me. In the 
morning I pray and resolve ; all through the day I strive, 
and struggle, and fail ; and at night I lament, and con- 
fess, and repent ! Every morning in the closet I take a 
fresh start, and sally boldly forth to face my besetting 
sins, only to find myself again, very soon and suddenly, 
cornered and hedged in by these same sins, and finally 
driven by them with tears to the Throne of Grace ! 
Watch as I will against some few forms of sinfulness, 
some other form, when least looked for, and where least 



FROM THE GATE TO THE CROSS. 121 



looked for, is sure to spring from its lying-in-wait, and 
easily worst me ! But this is all against my intent, and 
dead-set against my struggles, resolutions and prayers! 

If then (verse 16), what I would not, that I do, I assent 
unto the law, which demands the opposite of what I do, that 
it is good and excellent ; and so it is (verse 17,) virtually 
no longer / who work out this course, but sin dwelling in 
me. And so, I perceive (verse 18,) that in me, that is, 
in my flesh, good does not dwell ; for if it did, I should 
not be so balked and hindered in trying to practice what 
I desire to be and do. Whereas, the fact is, that only 
the willing of the good and excellent is present with me, 
but the working out and accomplishing of the good and 
excellent, I do not find to be in my power, let me try 
never so hard! For not (verse 19,) the good that I 
would, do I ; but the evil which I would not, that, I am 
continually doing. But if, then, what I do is so foreign 
to my will, unbiased by the sinfulness of the flesh within 
me — or, in other words, as I said before if (verse 20,) 
what I would not, that I do — it is no longer / who work 
out this course, but the sinfulness dwelling in me. 

[What shall I say then ? that it is the doctrine of ego 
and non-ego ? self and not self ? and so escape all shades 
of censure ? Nay, it is the condemnation in which sin 
leaves me, and not in which sin leaves itself, that tor- 
ments me ! It is the power which sin has to drag me 



122 THE GATE AND THE CROSS. 



down to its own level that makes me feel any degrada- 
tion ! It is the fact, continually staring me in the face, 
that though I repudiate as much as I please the presence 
and evil of sin in me, I cannot repel all of its power over 
me in breaking down the force of my will, as that of a 
renewed man who hates sin ; so that, in spite of me, my 
practice becomes sinful ! It is, it is true, sin that is to 
blame, but it is sin in me / It is, it is true, sin residing, 
not in the new nature, but in the flesh, yet it is in my 
flesh ! It is, it is true, sin that begins to do the evil, and 
wills it, but it is ./who finish the doing, though not willing 
it!] 

I find, then (verse 21), this to be the invariable order of 
sequence, that when I would do the good and excellent, 
evil is with me to prevent. 

I seem, then, in reference to the law of God, to be a 
dual, or two-fold being ; and the law accordingly both 
pleases and condemns me, setting me over against myself 
in its action. For (verse 22,) I perceive more and more, 
as I study myself, that I not only consent unto the law 
that it is good (verse 16), but that I actually rejoice and 
delight in the law after my new nature, or inward, spiritual 
man. And herein I perceive how utterly different I am 
now from what I was before I entered the Wicket Gate, 
when I fled from Sinai, which represented the terrible 
ideal of the law which then appalled me. Then, every 



FROM THE GATE TO THE CROSS. 123 



holy requirement was altogether disliked ; for not only 
was the flesh in me as now, but I was in the flesh , and 
of the flesh, as I am not now ; yea, I was flesh, and flesh 
only, because born only of the flesh (John 3 : 6) ; so that 
I was never agreed with the law ; much less did I even 
delight and rejoice in it. I was never subject to the law of 
God, neither indeed could be ; but was at enmity with it, 
and it with me (8 : 7). 

I could not then please God, and so neither His law ; 
nor could God or His law please me (8 : 8). 

But now (7 : 21), I find I delight in the law of God in 
the renewed department of my being, my spirit, or inward 
man ; for there I find the transcript of the law in my will 
and affections, on the fleshly tables of my heart (2 Cor. 
3: 3), in righteousness and true holiness (Eph. 4: 24). 
But I see just the opposite state of things in the unre- 
newed department of my being, my flesh, in which dwells 
nothing good (verse 18). For there, I find an opposite 
law transcribed, even a travesty of the law of God, and a 
perversion and abuse of it (verse 23). I see another law 
in my members — a law with which the flesh is leagued, 
and through which it prevails, and is, so to say, for the 
time being at one — warring against the law of my mind, 
or'enlightened new nature, and bringing me into captivity 
to itself. 

And here it is, that I experience the truth of that which 



i2 4 THE GATE AND THE CROSS. 



the Interpreter insisted on. It is all the dusty room over 
again ! The dust would have no power to rise, if it did not, 
so to say, adopt and identify itself with the broom, per- 
verting the purpose of the broom, and rising by its power. 
So I perceive that the good law, in spite of itself, is the 
strength of sin (i Cor. 15: 56), and becomes, in sin's 
hands, sin's law, and unto death (verses 10, 23), and, 
in a word, the " law of sin and death " (8 : 2). Oh ! how 
exceeding sinful is this sinfulness dwelling in my flesh, 
thus working death in me by that which is good (verse 

Two things, at least, I have now come at : one, as the 
Interpreter showed me, that if it were not for sin-in-the- 
flesh resuming its lost power, the law could not bring 
any consciousness of condemnation, but, as I am a believer, 
would only delight me ; or, so to speak, if the dust would 
only remain passive under the broom, the air in the room 
would not suffocate the occupants. And the other thing 
is — and this the Interpreter did not make known, but I 
have, in a manner, guessed it out for myself, since I 
started up this hill — that this sin-in-the-flesh is as wholly 
unlike, and as wholly hateful to me, as a believing and 
regenerated man, as it is unlike, and hateful, to the law. 
As a r regenerate man, the law is one with me, in hating sin- 
in-the-flesh. So then, if / could only be disassociated 
from sin-in-the-flesh, the law also would be disassociated 



FROM THE GATE TO THE CROSS. 125 



from sin-in-the-flesh, whenever I gazed at the law — but 
there's the rub ! 

[Here Christian sighed and *groaned heavily, and stag- 
gered under his burden, looking as if he would stop and 
rest, although now actually — but without seeming to 
observe it — almost at the top of the hill. And then 
he broke out again talking to himself.] 

I cannot rid myself of this tyrant ! this filcher and traitor 
of my comfort ! Nor can I at all improve him ! Now 
that I think it over, I seem to have been trying to 
improve the flesh, this old self, and make it Christly and 
spiritual. But I now forsake such a notion, and come to 
despair of it ; for all the power for improvement in my 
hand is the law ; and that, instead of reforming the old 
self, is itself perverted by the old self ! yea, becomes the 
very yoke of the old self ! I must, then, for peace and 
power, either get rid of the law — but no, that won't do, 
for the law is good and spiritual, and I delight in it after 
my new man ! Well then, the other thing : I must get rid 
of this old self, this sin-in-the-flesh, if I would have peace 
and power, and become all I want to be — but how ? how ? 
I am hopelessly chained to a corpse ! and drag it about 
at every step I take ! 

O wretched man (verse 24,) that I am! who shall 
deliver me from the body of this death ? 

[Here Christian fell prostrate in despair, not perceiving 



i26 THE GATE AND THE CROSS. 



thcxt he is now at the very crest of the hill, and the cross 
is shining before him in the sun ; for his eyes have been 
on the ground as he toiled up the ascent. For awhile, 
lying upon his face, he seems like one in a swoon. But 
now, recovering a little, he lifts up his head, and soon 
catches a view of the cross. For a moment he rubs and 
presses his eyes, as if in doubt of the truth, and then his 
gaze grows fixed. Then suddenly, as if a new life thrilled 
him, he bounds to his feet, and claps his hands again and 
again, while his face glows with joy, and tears of gratitude 
run freely; for now he is sure he feels his burden loosening 
of itself, and falling from his shoulders ! He turns for an 
instant to see it go, and 'then facing the cross again, shouts 
with a loud voice.] 

(Verse 25,) I thank God! I discover a deliverance 
provided through Jesus Christ our Lord ! ! ! Not through 
the law do I find deliverance, for the law is only strong 
to decree, and weak to execute ; not through myself, by 
putting my trust in the fact of my having been regenerated, 
and so possessing a new nature, and thereby delighting 
in the law ; for another portion of my being is still unre- 
deemed, and hates the holy law ; but through Jesus Christ 
our Lord! through Jesus Christ our Lord ! Yes, our Lord 
in the full sense, Ruler, Master, Saviour I 
• [Christian here fell upon his 'knees before the cross, 
remaining in silent praise for awhile. Then rising to his 



FROM THE GATE TO THE CROSS. 127 

feet again, he turned to look down the hill, at the way he 
had come, and caught a last sight of his burden, just as 
it rolled over a cliff and was buried from view in the wide 
mouth of a sepulcher ! Then he continued to talk with 
himself.] 

I see now what a fool I have been all the way up! 
The whole secret of my trouble has been in trying to do 
for myself what Christ only can do for me ; and that is, to 
kill the activity of the flesh when it is aroused under the 
activity of the law. And though I almost guessed at this, 
yet I could not consent to cease from self-effort, and rely 
only on Christ for comfort and power, because I did not 
see how Christ could dispense with my help ; what means 
and process He could efficiently use. But I see now, and 
I feel now, blessed be God ! I discover that " missing 
factor " in the plan of grace for our walk, as well as life ! 
I see what the water meant in the dusty room at the 
Interpreter's house : it represented the Holy Spirit ! ' 

And I missed this knowledge practically, because I did 
not perceive that the Holy Spirit is to be supplied, for our 
walk as well as life, only at Christ's hands ; and not even 
then, as wages in reward for our work, but as a gift in 
response to our faith. Ah ! no marvel I made little head- 
way against the evil within, for I looked to the law 
directly — at least as to sanctiflcation — apart from the 
Mediator between the law and us, and so far failed of 



128 THE GATE AND THE CROSS. 



the due power of the Holy Spirit. I neglected to remem- 
ber that Christ came by water as well as blood (i John 
5 ; 6), and that, as the significance of the blood needs to 
continually cover us for justification (Rom. 3 : 21-26), so 
the significance of the water must be constantly spring- 
ing up within us for sanctification (John 4:14). I 
already knew, to my sorrow, that if I dealt with the law 
directly, 'the law dealt with my sin directly, and so con- 
demned me : and I knew to my joy, that if I dealt with 
the law mediately, through Christ, as to the blood shed 
for me, then and there the law dealt with my sin medi- 
ately, through Christ, as to his blood, and could find 
nothing against me. All this I have known so thoroughly 
as to be kept in perfect assurance and peace as to the 
sins of the past, which were committed before I found 
entrance at the Wicket Gate ; and have known it in large 
measure, also, as to every confession of new transgres- 
sions : assurance of pardon and justification has been 
blessedly mine as the rule ! 

But I have failed hitherto to see clearly that if I like- 
wise deal with the law mediately, through Christ, as to 
His Spirit, then the law will deal with my tendency to sin, 
which is in my flesh, mediately through Christ, as to His 
Spirit, and thus co-work i?i me as a sanciifyifig power — the 
righteousness of the law being thus fulfilled in me, as I 
walk after the Spirit (8 : 4). 



FROM THE GATE TO THE CROSS. 129 



I have not clearly seen, till now, how necessary the 
constant indwelling of the Holy Spirit is for deliverance 
from the power of the old nature, and for the development 
of the power of the new • nor that, as there was need, in 
order to have the dust sprinkled in preparation for the 
broom, to look to the damsel who held the watering-pot, so 
there is need, in order to have the Spirit supplied for over- 
coming the flesh, in preparation for the law, to look to Christ, 
whose office it is to baptize with the Spirit ! I had found, 
to my shame, that as, when the broom was used alone, 
the dust overcame the broom, and in a sense claimed and 
owned its power, so the law being used alone, sin claimed 
it, and made it the law of sin and death ; but I had not 
equally perceived that as, when the water is used con- 
jointly with the broom, and thus claims, and in a sense 
owns the broom, and avails to strengthen the broom 
against the possibility of being perverted in its purpose, 
so, in like manner, when the Holy Spirit is supplied for 
power to subdue the old self, and for liberty to walk 
aright in accordance with the righteousness of the law, 
the Holy Spirit becomes allied with, and claims the law, 
and makes it " the law of the Spirit of the life " * in Christ 
Jesus ! Oh, glorious discovery ! simple, yet wonderful 
provision of grace ! Why ! no marvel I made no head- 

*The Greek has the article, "the life," in Romans 8:2; and so 
Young renders it. 



THE GATE AND THE CROSS. 



way in walking and in inward cleansing by myself, apart 
from sole reliance upon Christ ! Virtually, I myself was 
then trying to handle the law : but Christ alone can do 
that for my constant cleansing, andiormy constant walk and 
liberty, even as He alone has been able to handle the law in 
regard to my past life. What has all my effort amounted to ? 
It was simply like holding my will between fires ; thrusting 
myself as a mediator, or go-between, into the midst of the 
hot battle of my two natures, flesh and spirit ! How could I 
help being every moment rent and torn ? What avail could 
the ointment of prayers and daily renewed resolutions be 
in the healing of my wounds ? Truly I was a wretched 
man ! And well it was I became so wretched as to despair 
of help from my own dealing with the law, or I should 
have gone on with the endless and torturing experiment. 
But now, I see, through God's great mercy at the cross, 
that, as my experience up this hill proves, when " I myself " 
take up the law, this is, and must be the total result : 
with my " mind " or new nature, "I myself " (that is to say, 
I of myself, alone, aloof from Christ, I by myself) serve 
the law of God ; but with the flesh, the law of sin (verse 
25) : for then the " law in my members" wars against the 
" law of my mind," and forces me in bitterness to exclaim, 
" To will is present with me, but how to perform I find 
not ! " 

But, on the other hand, as I see in the light of this 



FROM THE GATE TO THE CROSS. 131 



cross, how different a being am I in Christ Jesus / Walk- 
ing by myself, in the midst of the battle of my two 
natures, it is continual condemnation for the present, if 
not for the past. But there is therefore now 710 condemna- 
tion, 110 condemnation, none whatever, to those who are in 
Christ Jesus I (8 : 1.) Once, at the gate, I felt no con- 
demnation in Christ Jesus for the past, and now, thank 
God ! I feel none for the present ; for I can abide for my 
walk as well as life, for my cleansing as well as forgive- 
ness, moment by moment, by Jaith in Christ Jesus ; looking 
with submission and confidence to Christ instead of the law / 
And moreover, I see the method of the Divine pathway 
still clearer than this even : I not only see how Christ 
effects this inward righteousness ; namely, through the 
Spirit ; but I perceive how the Spirit accomplishes His 
mission in us, namely, by becoiiiing our Law-giver / I see 
clearly now, that my part, day by day, hour by hour, 
moment by moment, is simply to look to Christ, not only 
for imputed righteousness, through His blood, but also for 
imparted righteousness, through His Holy Spirit ; and that 
thus, not only is such a righteousness as satisfies the law 
placed upon me — as I saw first at the gate (3 : 21-26), 
concerning the plan of grace — for justifying power, but 
is also placed in me, for sanctifying power ; and that 
thus the law is not made void, but established by faith in 
Christ, apart from the law / I see now, that the object of 



132 THE GATE AND THE CROSS. 

the atonement was intended to reach to the matter of our 
walk indeed, and not merely to effect our justification 
and our new birth. My " old man," as the Interpreter 
showed me, was indeed crucified with Christ, and buried 
with Christ, that I, rising as a new man in Christ (void 
of life in the old man) into resurrection life, might be 
enabled to walk in newness of life (6 : 1-13). 

All I could do while walking under the law of sin and 
death, was to illustrate more and more painfully that the 
law was the strength of sin ; but thanks be to God, who 
now giveth me (even as to walking) the victory over sin, 
and over the law of sin and death through Jesus Christ our 
Lord ! For the law (8 : 2,) of the Spirit of the life in 
Christ Jesus, made me free from the law of sin and death. 
For (verse 3,) what the moral law could not do (in that 
it was weak through the flesh), God provided for in 
another way, namely : graciously sending his Son in the 
likeness of sinful flesh — as an offering for sin # — He 
condemned, executed, and buried sin-in-the-flesh ; to the 
end that, the righteousness f of the law might be fulfilled 
in us, and thus through us, and by us, who walk not after 
the flesh, but after the Holy Spirit (verse 4). Thus 
gloriously does faith establish the law, though, at first it 



*R. V. 

f Greek, " righteous requirement " ; R. V., "ordinance." 



FROM THE GATE TO THE CROSS. 133 



seems to make the law void (3 : 31), by avoiding the law 
as a way to secure righteousness. 

From the stand-point of this cross, the whole problem 
of spiritual walk and liberty, of peace and joy, seems 
solved through simple faith / Yet I perceive that the solu- 
tion involves an apprehension of several particulars 

CONCERNING THREE LAWS. 

(An Episode.) 

Thus : as to their names, characters, localities, mut- 
ual relations, the reason for the pre-eminent superi- 
ority of the third law, and last, as to the way to secure 
its advantages. 

1. Their names : The first law is the " law of God," or 
the moral law ; the second law is the " law of sin and 
death: " and the third law is the " law of the Spirit of life," 
or Life-giving Spirit (7 : 22; 8 : 2). 

2. Their cha7-acter : The first law is like its Divine 
Author, spiritual, holy, just and good (7: 12, 14), dis- 
covering sin (7 : 7), and condemning the sinner (3 : 20); 
the second law is like its corrupt author, sin-in-the-flesh, 
carnal, and bringing the believer, if it has opportunity, 
into wretched captivity (7 : 23, 24) ; and the third law is 
like its Divine Author, spiritual, holy, just and good, and 
like the first law ; since, by freeing the believer from the 
second law, it fulfills the righteousness of the first law 
(8 : 2, 4). 



i 3 4 THE GATE AND THE CROSS. 

3. Their localities : The first law is in the Scriptures, 
being summarized in the Ten Commandments (7: 7); 
and is also found transcribed and obeyed in the believer's 
new nature, as the law of his mind, or inward man (7 : 
22, 23, 25) ; the second law is in all unregenerated souls 
(7 : 5); and also in the unregenerated nature of the 
believer (7 : 23, 25,) ; and the third law is found only in 
Christ Jesus (8 : 2). 

4. Their mutual relation : (1) The first law, though 
ordained to be executive, is only legislative and decretal ; 
the second law is executive through misuse of the first ; 
but the third law is independently legislative and executive, 
yet always in harmony with the first law (7 : 10-13, 21- 
23 ; 8 : 2, 4). 

(2) The first law is weaker than the second (7 : 23), 
and the second law is weaker than the third (8 : 2). 

(3) The first law is opposed by the second, but being 
re-enforced by the third, the opposition is rendered null 
and void (7 : 23 ; 8 : 2-4). 

(4) The first law is in the letter ; the second law is the 
misuse of that letter ; the third law is the spirit of that 
letter (2 Cor. 3:6; Rom. 7 : 6 ; 8 : 2,4). 

(5) The first law is ordained to be unto life; the second 
law is experienced to be unto death ; the third law is experi- 
enced to be unto life (7 : 10-13, 23, 2458:2,6). t 

5. The reason for the pre-eminent superiority of the third 



FROM THE GATE TO THE CROSS. 135 



law : This superiority attaches to it inevitably, because 
of its locality, in Christ Jesus/ It is the law of the Spirit 
of the life in Him, or of His life in Himself, and of our 
life in Him / It is the law of the very essence, or Spirit of 
that life, that Divine life ! And, in His relation to, and 
association with that law, Who is Christ Jesus ? and what 
is His life ? and what, nay, Who is the Spirit of His Life ? 
and of our life in Him ? Christ Jesus is the anointed of 
God, to be the Saviour ; and that Life in Him is the 
Divine, Holy and Eternal Life ; and the Spirit of that 
Life is the Co-existent Holy Ghost, who takes of the 
things of Christ Jesus, and imparts them unto us, making 
us partakers of the Divine Nature (John 16 : 14, 15 ; 
Heb. 3 : 14; 6: 4; 12: 10; 2 Pet. 1 : 4). 

But again, what is the law of the Spirit of that life ? 
What can it be, on the part of the Spirit, but His Divine 
guidance, moment by moment, so that we walk not after 
the flesh, but after the Spirit (8 : 4), in accord and har- 
mony with the spirit of the Scriptures, and so that the 
written word becomes to us and in us the Living Word, 
and we ourselves become living epistles, known and read 
of all, the light of the world ? 

The pre-eminent superiority of the third law is there- 
fore seen to come from the fact that it is a living law ; 
and a living law because associated (1) with the presence 
of the Divine Law-giver, Jesus Christ, who as the Jeho- 



136 THE GATE AND THE CROSS. 



vah of old time, ordained the Ten Commandments on 
Sinai ; and as the Eternal Word, breathed forth through 
His Spirit every precept in both Testaments, and spoke 
through every prophet, apostle and sacred penman ; and 
(2) with the presence of the perfect Exemplar of the law, 
Jesus Christ, who as the God-Man was born of a woman 
and made under the law, and who being tempted in all 
points like as we are, was yet found holy, harmless, unde- 
filed and separate from sinners; in the world, but not of it. 

Hence, one obeying continually the law of the Spirit 
of Life in Christ Jesus, will invariably walk as a son of 
God without rebuke (Phil. 2 : 15 ; Rom. 8 : 14), growing 
in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, 
who will consciously become to him Wisdom, Righteous- 
ness, Sanctification and Redemption. And he will recog- 
nize the Holy Ghost, indwelling within him, to be at once 
the Spirit of the moral law, and of the Law-giver of that 
law, and of the Exemplar of that law ; and to be, more- 
over, both the Interpreter and Executive of the same law 
transcribed within him, enabling him to will and to do 
accordingly (Phil. 2 : 13). 

6. How to secure the advantages of the third law : If I 
would obey the law of a realm, and enjoy the advantage 
of so doing, it is plain I must abide in that realm. Even 
so, if I would follow and be blessed by the law of the 
Spirit of the life in Christ Jesus, I must share the life in 



FROM THE GATE TO THE CROSS. 137 



•Christ Jesus, by abiding in Him. For then, in response 
to my abiding in Him, He will abide in me (John 15 : 4). 

They who are in the flesh are swayed by the law in the 
flesh, the "law of sin and death" (Rom. 7: 5; 8: 9). 
But, as a believing and regenerated man, I have been 
translated out of the realm of the flesh into the realm of 
God's dear Son ; I am pardoned and justified as to past 
sins and sinfulness, and have become a partaker of the 
Divine nature ; and within my new and inward man (as 
to which I am born of the Spirit, and am "spirit," and not 
"flesh," — John 3: 6,) the Holy Spirit, as the Divine 
Interpreter and Executive of God's will, conforms the 
" law of my mind " to the law of God (7 : 22, 25). But 
even then, as to my daily walk and practice (7 : 18-23), I 
may fail (as my experience proves) of continually abid- 
ing in Christ Jesus, and so fail of being wholly led by the 
law of the Spirit of the life found only there, and so miss 
of having the righteousness of the first law fulfilled within 
me to the full possibility and design of its power, purity 
and peace ! 

If I could, of myself, but succeed in always associating 
my will and practice with my new nature, I could obey 
the first law, there imprinted ; but I am too weak so to 
do, through the flesh. 

Hence, I am left to resort, as the sole possible and 
desirable locality for practice and walk, to the same 



138 THE GATE AND THE CROSS. 

locality I once sought, and where I now abide for justi- 
fication ; namely, the locality of the third law, even Christ 
Jesus. 

This question of vital importance then occurs : how 
shall I abide here also for practice and walk ? 

There are but two possible methods to pursue in an 
effort to so abide, since the whole of spiritual life consists 
of them ; namely, faith and works. 

If I try to abide in Christ Jesus, moment by moment, 
by works, that is, try to bring forth much fruit, in order 
to abide in the Vine, I find I am reversing the Divine 
rule ; which is, that if I abide in the Vine, I cannot help 
bringing forth much fruit (John 15:4, 5). If I abide in 
the Vine, the sap of the Spirit and the Word will flow 
through me, and the fruit must appear. If I try the 
method of works in order to abide, my works, however 
beautiful in appearance, being not the result and evidence 
of abidance, but of effort, are not fruit of the Vine, but 
merely of the branch; and indeed, are but artificially fas- 
tened on to a dead, unspiritual branch ! All my effort, in 
such case, is in the old foolish direction of trying to look 
to, and obey the moral law directly, instead of mediately ; 
and I find success only as to my new nature, while my 
old nature overcomes me by my very effort to follow the 
moral law (7 : 11), and soon drags me down, as to my 
walk, into its own debased locality, getting me under 



FROM THE GATE TO THE CROSS. 139 



bondage to the law of that locality, the law of sin and 
death. So, though I begin in the Spirit, I end in the 
flesh ; and find I am, instead of showing my faith by my 
works, only substituting works for faith, and so works 
devoid of faith ; dead works, and full of condemnation ! 

But now, if I seek to abide, moment by moment, by faith 
in Christ Jesus, I find I succeed ; and that, though I seem 
at first to avoid the law by faith, in order that the law may 
not become void through works, yet in the end I establish 
the law, have the very righteousness of the law fulfilled in 
me, through the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus ; so 
that the good works, the " much fruit " appears, as the 
result of faith, instead of its substitute. 

And indeed, by thus entering into and abiding in Christ 
Jesus for my practice and walk, by faith, I am only returning 
to the use of the very means which I adopted successfully 
in order to enter into and abide in Christ Jesus lor Justification, 
for that was faith. I tried works, under the law, for justi- 
fication and failed ; and I tried faith, and faith alone, 
apart from the law, at the Wicket Gate, and succeeded. 
And now again, in coming up this hill, I have seen an end 
of effort by works for practical walk, and forever I have 
learned, I trust, at this cross, to rely for abidance in 
Christ on faith ! Where is boasting then ? It is excluded ! 
By what law? Of works? Nay, but by the law of faith 
(3 : 27). For, abiding by faith in Christ for the power of 



THE GATE AND THE CROSS. 



the Spirit, I am then constantly strengthened with might 
by the Spirit in the inner man, to the end that Christ may 
continually abide in me (Eph. 3 : 16, 17). 

But what is it, I may yet ask myself, to exercise this faith 
for holy abidance, for walk and practice ? 

Why, I may learn from the way in which I first began 
to exercise faith, and still do exercise it for justification, 
since it brings me to the same locality, Christ Jesus, only 
for a different purpose. 

When I entered the W T icket Gate I fled from the law, 
being driven by fear of it ; and my burden was a conscious 
and irreversible condemnation for my past and present 
unredeemed condition, 

But when I was climbing this hill towards this cross, I 
was draw7i by the law more than driven ; yet I was driven 
somewhat also ; and so, being drawn and driven by the 
law, I climbed hither for relief from my burden which 
weighed me down. But now of late, not in any sense has 
my burden been in reference to my past condition, for 
as to that I knew I was wholly justified through the 
blood of Christ, and the righteousness reckoned to me, at 
the Gate ; but now my burden was because of my present 
mixed, and only partly spiritual condition, and referred to 
a conscious lack of righteousness within ; at least, as to the 
degree I longed for ; as to an executive degree which should 
destroy my sinful desires, and fulfill my good ones. 



FROM THE GATE TO THE CROSS. 141 



And my burden was greater when I was nearing this 
cross than when I was approaching the gate, for the reason 
that I felt not only God condemned me by the law, but 
because I condemned myself by the law, with the strictness 
of God's judgment ; since, through my new nature, I 
delighted in the integrity of the law, and could not brook 
that the law should fail or be slighted in the least. 

Before my reaching this cross I was as foolish as before 
entering at the gate, for I tried unavailingly the same 
refuge and device for relief, legality ; however, not as 
contentedly, for my conceptions of true service were more 
spiritual when I was approaching the cross. 

Upon the first occasion, that at the gate, I was so car- 
nal that / would have been satisfied with service in the 
deadness of the letter, if I had felt the law could be : 
but upon the second occasion, that at the cross, my .spiritual 
nature would not have allowed me, any more than the 
law itself would, to be satisfied with any less service than 
that in the newness of the Spirit. 

This failure of legality, or works, each time left me 
compelled to resort to faith ; amd then I found the locality 
sought, Christ Jesus for justification, Christ Jesus for 
sanctification ; Christ Jesus as substitute for sins, Christ 
Jesus as substitute for sinfulness ; Christ Jesus for a new 
life, Christ Jesus for a new walk. 

TJiis faith, then, is simply coming to a point of utter 



1 42 THE GATE AND THE CROSS. 

despair as to my own ability, and a surrender of all thought 
or further purpose of it, coupled with an act of sole reliance 
upon, and absolute confidence in Christ Jesus, to be to me 
what I could not be to myself, The Way, The Truth, and 
The Life, for justification and sanctification. Perfect 
submission as to will and way to Christ, and perfect confi- 
dence as to will and way in Christ, have been to me the 
doors of conscious admission into Christ for life, and into 
Christ for walk. 

What then ? are experiences of justifying and sanctify- 
ing grace alike the result of the acts of God toward me, 
in the sense of their not being the result of His work 1 

I must answer to myself both yea and nay : for though 
there is a difference, there is also a measurable likeness. 
For while justification is an act, on God's part, for and 
upon me, sanctification is both His act and work in me. 
In either instance there must be an act of Divine revela- 
tion to my consciousness of the blissful fact of Christ 
having been made unto me all I need — my Justification, 
my Sanctification. And on my part, the experimental 
entrance^ that is to say, the intelligent and enjoyable 
entrance into Christ as the Way, the Truth, and the Life, 
for either justifying or sanctifying grace, is equally 
through an act of faith, involving self-abandonment to 
Christ, and an acceptance of Him, as meeting either need. 
Moreover, in either instance I become aware of the Holy 



FROM THE GATE TO THE CROSS. 143 



Spirit's inward witness of assurance and divine fellowship. 
But while, as to justification and sanctification, the view 
of my completeness in Christ is equally assuring to my 
faith, yet well I know that as to the latter grace, God's 
work is to be daily wrought within me, in revealing my 
weakness in myself, and my dependence on Christ con- 
tinually for purity and growth. 

Henceforward, I must exercise myself in this simple way 
of faith for my walk and practice, moment by moment, 
or I shall fall into my old errors, and then must needs go 
back and climb this weary hill again ! I must, henceforth, 
in order to abide in Christ, simply sit at His feet like Mary, 
in utter submission to His will and way, and lean, like 
John, upon His bosom, in implicit confidence in His will 
and way, instead of my own. 

And thus, here at His Cross, I am neither under the 
law, in company with the legal Galatians (Gal. 3), nor 
yet law/ess, in company with the Corinthians, who mistook 
license for liberty ; but I am, through the law of the Spirit 
of Life, within the law, in a state of lawfulness and loyalty 
to Christ Jesus (1 Cor. 9: 20, 21, Greek). * Having now 

* The three expressions are significant : /ir] cm avros viro vofiov, /jltj wv 
avofjuos deu, a\\a evvo/xos xP^ T(J} - Rotherham renders them thus : " Not 
being myself under law; not being without law of God; but in law 
of Christ." Dr. Young renders the last two phrases thus : " Not 
being without law to God, but within law to Christ." The R. V. 
agrees with Young, except that it has " under," instead of " within," 
law to Christ. 



i 4 4 THE GATE AND THE CROSS. 

been freed from inability to do what I would, I am empow- 
ered to obey the "perfect law of liberty ", which is Christ's 
"royal law" of love (James i : 25 ; 2 : 8, 12), and one 
with the " law of the Spirit of the life in Christ." There 
is, therefore, now no condemnation to me, living the "life 
which is by the faith of the Son of God." 

As I abide thus in Christ by faith, He abides in me by 
His Word and Spirit, and so strengthens me with might 
by His Spirit in the inner man, that, thus allied with the 
Holy Ghost, my new nature is more that a match for my 
old nature, though it be re-enforced by Satan ! 

The inability to do what I would is therefore ceased ; 
for I can surely work my salvation out (yet with reverent 
awe), while God worketh my salvation within me, in both 
willing and doing according to His good pleasure (Phil. 
2 : 12, 13). Apart from Christ I can do nothing ; but I 
can do and bear all things through Christ who strengthens 
me. Abiding in the Vine by faith, in order to bring 
forth much fruit, the spiritual sap will permeate me, the 
branch, and in fitting season and variety the fruit of the 
Spirit, love, which is the fulfilling of the law, will appear, 
■ — joy (love exulting), peace (love in repose), long-suffer- 
ing (love enduring), gentleness (love in society), goodness 
(love in action), faith (love on the battle-field), meekness 
(love at school), temperance (love in training). # 

* These definitions are not original. 



FROM THE GATE TO THE CROSS. 145 



I will not henceforth, God helping me ! frustrate the 
grace of God by work as a substitute for faith, building the 
legality and dead works up again which I once destroyed 
(Gal. 2 : 18-21). 

For though, even yet, the flesh be in me, by walking in 
the Spirit I shall not be in the flesh, nor can its lusts be 
fulfilled. For though the flesh will even dare to lust 
against the Holy Spirit, as readily as against my spirit 
(begotten of the Holy Spirit, and called " spirit " after 
the name and nature of the Divine Parent — John 3 : 6), 
yet the Holy Spirit lusts in return, more effectually against 
the flesh than my spirit can ; so that if I am led by the 
Holy Spirit, as I depend, for His attendance and indwell- 
ing, by faith on Christ Jesus, the fruit of the Holy Spirit, 
which is the lusting of the Holy Spirit fulfilled in me, will 
supplant and supersede the development and fulfillment 
in me, of the lusting of the flesh, in the works of the flesh 
(Gal. 5 : 16-25); the latter lusts will wither and perish 
in the bud, and the former lusts secure all the forces of 
the life, and blossom unto fruitage. For the power of 
the Holy Spirit will avail to associate my life and walk 
with the risen Christ, and thus to keep " the body of this 
death," the " sinful flesh," in the place to which grace has 
consigned it — the sepulcher of Him who was buried in 
the likeness of it, the Crucified Christ ! For when I am. 
strengthened with might in the inner man by the Spirit, 



146 THE GATE AND THE CROSS. 



Christ dwells in my heart by faith (Eph. 3 : 16, 17) as 
the gracious and perfect substitute for my old nature ; for 
whosoever abideth in Him sinneth not (1 John 3 : 6). 
And now therefore, it behooves me henceforth to heed the 
Scripture : " The anointing which ye have received of Him 
abideth in you . . . and even as it hath taught you, ye 
shall abide in Him"(i John 2 : 27). 

2. THE THREE SHINING ONES. 

Christian, while weeping for joy and gratitude at the 
Cross, receives a visit from Three Shining Ones, typical of 
as many distinct and vivid revelations to his spiritual under- 
standing, of fuller and deeper meanings in the Scriptures 
than he was able or prepared to apprehend before he arrived 
at the Cross. 

THE THREE SHINING ONES, IN THE STORY. 

Now, as he stood looking and weeping, behold three 
shining ones came to him and saluted him, with, " Peace 
be to thee." So the first said to him, " Thy sins be for- 
given thee " ; the second stripped him of his rags, and 
clothed him with change of raiment ; the third also set a 
mark on his forehead, and gave him a roll with a seal 
upon it which he bade him look on as he ran, and that 
he should give in at the Celestial Gate. So they went 
their way. 



FROM THE GATE TO THE CROSS. 147 



THE THREE SHINING ONES, IN THE EPISTLE. 

Romans 8 : 5-30. 

A brief glance at the eighth chapter of the Epistle 
shows how entirely it is absorbed (certainly at least, as 
far as the twenty-seventh verse), with the riches of the 
believer through the gift of the Holy Ghost, as the Spirit 
of the life in Christ fesus. The chapter seems to assem- 
ble in review all the possibilities of spiritual experience ; 
both those which the previous chapters have set forth as 
attainable in the present life, and those also which a 
blissful eternity will disclose to the believer's conscious- 
ness ; and then shows to our amazed and joyous pilgrim 
how these wonderful blessings become all his, not of 
works, but wholly of grace, through the gift of the Holy 
Ghost as the Abiding, Indwelling Presence and Power. 
The whole chapter, beginning (verse 1,) with "no con- 
demnation" to the believer " in Christ Jesus", and end- 
ing (verse 39,) with the " love of God" "in Christ Jesus", 
as testified by the Holy Ghost (expressed or understood), 
is a fulfillment of the promise of our Lord regarding the 
Comforter : " He shall take of mine, and shall show it 
unto you" (John 16 : 15). 

But to get back to our pilgrim whom we left weeping 
and well-nigh bewildered with joy at the Cross, and about 
to receive a revelation of all this from the Three Shining 
Ones, 



148 THE GATE AND THE CROSS. 



THE FIRST SHINING ONE, IN THE EPISTLE. 

Romans 8 : 5-1 1, 

5. For they that are after the flesh, do mind the things of the 
flesh : but they that are after the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 

6. For to be carnally minded is death ; but to be spiritually 
minded is life and peace : 

7. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God : for it is not 
subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. 

8. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. 

9. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the 
Spirit of God dwell in you. Now, if any man have not the Spirit of 
Christ, he is none of his. 

10. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but 
the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 

11. But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead 
dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also 
quicken your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwelleth in you. 

In the Story the first of the heavenly visitants utters 
the cheering words, "Thy sins be forgiven thee" ; that is 
to say, he confers on the pilgrim the gift of the assurance 
of justification. But, surely, in the Epistle, the pilgrim 
long ere this attained such assurance, viz: at the Gate 
(3: 21-26), and we have listened to his song proclaiming 
the fact (5 : 1-11). Howbeit, we find just here in the 
Epistle, very fittingly to the theme of assurance in the 
Story, a basis laid for assurance in an advanced degree ; 
confirming to the pilgrim his new apprehension of the 
power of grace received at the Cross, as to an ability 
there conferred upon him by the Spirit of the life in 
Christ Jesus, to walk with God in continual life and 



FROM THE GATE TO THE CROSS. 149 



peace. In this passage, therefore, the words of the first 
Shining One virtually are : 

" Thou hast well come, O Christian, to this Cross ; and 
this is the sum and substance of thy vision here, and do 
thou bear it continually on thine heart : They who are 
after the flesh, minding the things of the flesh, are utterly 
opposed to those who are after the Spirit, minding the 
things of the Spirit ; for the mind of the flesh * is death, 
as thou didst confess but lately (7 : 18, 23-25) ; while the 
mind of the Spirit brings, as thou knowest (8 : 2,) now, 
life and peace. And moreover, thou knowest why spir- 
itual death comes from minding the flesh, in that the 
mind of the flesh is enmity against God ; and evidently 
so, because the flesh is not, and cannot be subject to His 
law ; so that those who are in the flesh cannot please 
God. For bear in mind, that the fulfillment of the law is 
inseparably connected with spiritual life and comfort. Grace 
honors and maintains the law, and would conform, not 
the law to the standard of the flesh, but the believer to 
the standard of the law. 

But joy to thee ! thou art so conformed, and art not in 
the flesh, either imputatively or practically, if thou abide 
in Christ fesus, so that the Spirit of the life in Christ Jesus 
abides in thee, and thou grieve Him not hence : for if any 
one have not the Spirit of Christ, he is not of Christ, 

* R. V. has "mind of the flesh," and "mind of the spirit." 



THE GATE AND THE CROSS. 



Christly, minding the things of the Spirit ; but is of the 
flesh, fleshly, minding the things of the flesh. So then, 
though the flesh be in thee for awhile, thou needst never 
be in the flesh. Thou mayest, while yet in this unregen- 
erated, sin-slain and " dead" body, through the Holy Spirit 
find the dominion of the flesh gone ; and, by the same 
Spirit, I now assure thee of a riddance also of the possi- 
bility of the presence of the flesh in the resurrection body ; 
for the Spirit in thee is the Spirit of the resurrected Christ, 
and able to give thee even now an earnest of His glorified 
body (verses 10, n). 

THE SECOND SHINING ONE, IN THE EPISTLE. 

Romans 8 : 12-27. 

12. Therefore, brethren, we are debtors not to the flesh, to live 
after the flesh. 

13. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die : but if ye through 
the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. 

14. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons 
of God. 

15. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; 
but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, 
Father. 

16. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are 
the children of God : 

T7. And if children, then heirs : heirs of God, and joint-heirs with 
Christ ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified 
together. 

18. For I reckon, that the sufferings of this present time are not 
worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 

19. For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the 
manifestation of the sons of God. 



FROM THE GATE TO THE CROSS. 151 



20. For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but 
by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope ; 

21. Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the 
bondage of corruption, into the glorious liberty of the children of 
God. 

22. For we know that the whole creation groaneth, and travaileth 
in pain together until now : 

23. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the first- 
fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting 
for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. 

24. For we are saved by hope. But hope that is seen, is not hope : 
for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for ? 

25. But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience 
wait for it. 

26. Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities : for we know 
not what we should pray for as we ought : but the Spirit itself maketh 
intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 

27. And he that searcheth the heai"ts knoweth what is the mind of 
the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints, according 
to the will of God. 

In the Story the second Shining One strips off Christian's 
rags, and clothes him anew : evidently a typical change 
from the rags of self-righteousness to the fine linen of the 
saints (Isa. 64 : 6 ; Rev. 19 : 8), and one with the right- 
eousness of Christ (Isa. 33 : 16 ; 61 : 10). But Christian, 
in the Epistle, has been thus stripped and clothed long 
ago at the gate (3 : 21-26), and has testified to a sweet 
consciousness of it (5 : 1-11). Therefore, the garments 
wherewith he is now clothed by the Shining One have a 
different purpose ; they are garments conferred by the 
Holy Ghost for spiritual service- unto God. 



152 THE GATE AND THE CROSS. 

With verse 12, is introduced the idea of consequent 
spiritual obligations resting upon the pilgrim as a true son 
of God ; and that he may meet them, he is now stripped 
by the Shining One of the idea of service through fear 
and legal bondage, as a slave (verse 15), and is clothed 
with the idea of service through love and liberty, as a son 
and heir (15-17), because indwelt by the Spirit of the life 
which is in Christ. 

A second garment with which he is now arrayed is 
patience in suffering with Christ (verse 18) ; a third 
garment for spiritual service is hope (verses 19-25) ; and 
a fourth is the power for prevailing prayer (verses 26, 27). 

THE THIRD SHINING ONE, IN THE EPISTLE. 

(Romans 8 : 28-30.) 

28. And we know that all things work together for good, to them 
that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. 

29. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be 
conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the first-born 
among many brethren. 

30. Moreover, whom he did predestinate, them he also called : 
and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified 
them he also glorified. 

In the Story the third Shining One sets a mark on 
Christian's forehead, and presents to him a sealed roll to 
hand in at the Celestial gate. And here, in the Epistle, 
to correspond, we have the mark (verse 28), " Called 
according to His purpose " : and then follows the descrip- 



FROM THE GATE TO THE CROSS. 153 



tion in the sealed roll (verses 29, 30,) concerning the 
destiny and perfection awaiting the called ones, as chosen 
in limitless grace from eternity, to eternity. 

3. CHRISTIAN'S SONG AT THE CROSS. 

Ihe pilgrim's amazement and joy at all he has experi- 
enced at the Cross, and in connection with it, now becomes 
irrepressible, so that he leaps and sings, exulting in a rap- 
ture beyond anything he felt at Ihe Gate. There, he 
entered into a likeness of the experience of the Israelites 
when they crossed the Red Sea under the leadership of 
Moses — a type of the law ; and so escaped from the 
dominion and doom of Egypt — a type of this world as the 
portion of unbelievers. But here, he enters into a likeness 
of their experience when they crossed the Jordan, under the 
leadership of Joshua — type of. the risen Christ; and so 
escaped the vexatious wanderings in the " waste-howling 
wilderness " — typical of the flesh a?id its tyra?inical outbreaks 
in the believer. 

THE SONG AT THE CROSS, IN THE STORY. 

Then Christian gave three leaps for joy, and went on 
singing : 

" Thus far did I come laden with my sin, 
Nor could aught ease the grief that I was in 
Till I came hither : What a place is this ! 
Must here be the beginning of my bliss ? 



i54 THE GATE AND THE CROSS. 



Must here the burden fall from off my back ? 
Must here the strings that bound it to me crack ? 
Blest Cross! blest sepulcher ! blest rather be 
The Man that there was put to shame for me ! " 

THE SONG AT THE CROSS, IN THE EPISTLE. 

Romans 8 : 31-39. 
In view of the overwhelming apprehension of "the 
fulness of the Gospel of Christ " which he has now 
received, the pilgrim bursts forth into an irrepressible 
strain of praise and exultation, a kind of characteristic 
hallelujah ! 

31. What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, 
who can be against us ? 

32. He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us 
all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things ? 

33. Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect ? It is 
God that justifieth : 

34. Who is he that condemneth ? It is Christ that died, yea 
rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, 
who also maketh intercession for us. 

35. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ ? shall tribula- 
tion, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or 
sword ? 

36. As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; 
we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 

37. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through 
him that loved us. 

38. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, 
nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, northings to come, 

39. Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able 
to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our 
Lord. 



SIXTH GROUP OF PARALLELS. 



1. The Three Sleepers. 

2. Formalist and Hypocrisy. 



i56 



UR Lord Himself tells us that he that is least in the 
Kingdom of heaven — the kingdom that He came 
to establish — is greater than any of the prophets that 
were in the world before His advent. Greater? 
Why? Because he is a habitation of God through the 
Spirit, because that magnificent gift which Christ died to 
obtain for us has been bestowed. 

Now all these views of the present dispensation seem 
to vanish into night when we subject them to a compari- 
son with the actual experiences of Christians in general. 
But we do them foul injustice in this way. We are rather 
to submit the experiences of Christians to the test of 
Scripture. When we do so, does it not appear that the 
church has fallen back into an ante-pentecostal state ? — 
that it has slipped out of its own dispensation ? 

— " Love Revealed" George Bowen. 



SIXTH GROUP OF PARALLELS. 

1. The Three Sleepers. 

2. Formalist and Hypocrisy. 



i. THE THREE SLEEPERS. 

Christian, now burdenless and joyous, sets his face to go 
on his journey again, but, to his amazement and horror, 
finds three men drowned in sleep, only a few steps from the 
Cross, all unconscious of its glories ; nor can he arouse them 
to any interest therein. 

THE THREE SLEEPERS, IN THE STORY. 

I saw then in my dream, that he went on thus, even 
until he came at the bottom [of the hill on which the 
Cross stood], where he saw, a little out of the way, three 
men fast asleep, with fetters upon their heels. The name 
of the one was Simple, of another Sloth, and of the third 
Presumption. 

Christian then seeing them lie in this case, went to 
them, if peradventure he might awake them, and cried : 
"You are like them that sleep on the top of a mast; for 
the dead sea is under you, a gulf that hath no bottom. 



158 THE GATE AND THE CROSS. 



Awake therefore, and come away ; be willing also, and I 
will help you off with your irons." He also told them, 
"If he that goeth about like a roaring lion comes by, you 
will certainly become a prey to his teeth." 

With that, they looked upon him, and began to reply 
in this sort : Simple said, " I see no danger " ; Sloth said, 
"Yet a little more sleep " ; and Presumption said, " Every 
tub must stand upon its own bottom." And so they lay 
down to sleep again, and Christian went on his way. 

Yet was he troubled to think that men in that danger 
should so little esteem the kindness of him that so freely 
offered to help them, both by awakening of them, coun- 
selling of them, and proffering to help them off with their 
irons. 

THE THREE SLEEPERS, IN THE EPISTLE. 

Romans, Chapters 9,10, ir. 
The parallelism, as to both the topics and the order of 
them, is quite striking here in the Epistle. Paul's pil- 
grim, immediately after giving utterance to his raptures 
concerning the possibilities of grace at the Cross, in 
chapter eighth, comes abruptly in the three following 
chapters, upon the three classes of sleepers, some of 
whom know nothing, and others of whom care nothing 
about Christian or his cross. At sight of these fettered 
sleepers the pilgrim is grieved to the quick. 



FROM THE GATE TO THE CROSS. 159 



(1.) Christian's grief at sight of the Sleepers. 

Romans 9 : 1-29. 

1. I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing 
me witness in the Holy Ghost, 

2. That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. 

3. For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for 
my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh : 

4. Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the 
glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service 
of God, and the promises ; 

5. Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh 
Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen. 

6. Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For 
they are not all Israel, which are of Israel : 

7. Neither because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all 
children ; but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called. 

8. That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are 
not the children of God : but the children of the promise are counted 
for the seed. 

9. For this is the word of promise, At this time will I come, and 
Sarah shall have a son. 

10. And not only this; but when Rebecca also had conceived by 
one, even by our father Isaac, 

11. (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any 
good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might 
stand, not of works, but of him that calleth ; ) 

12. It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger. 

13. As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. 

14. What shall we say then ? Is there unrighteousness with 
God ? God forbid. 

1 5. For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will 
have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have com- 
passion. 

16. So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, 
but of God that sheweth mercy. 



i6o THE GATE AND THE CROSS. 



17. For the Scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same pur- 
pose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, 
and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. 

18. Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will 'have mercy, and 
whom he will he hardeneth. 

19. Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault ? 
For who hath resisted his will ? 

20. Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? 
Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou 
made me thus? 

21. Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to 
make one vessel unto honor, and another unto dishonor ? 

22. What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make 
his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of 
wrath fitted to destruction : 

23. And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the 
vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory, 

24. Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also 
of the Gentiles ? 

25. As he saith also in Osee, I will call them My people, which 
were not my people ; and her beloved, which was not beloved. 

26. And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was 
said unto them, Ye are not my people ; there shall they be called, 
The children of the living God. 

27. Esaias also crieth concerning Israel, Though the number of 
the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be 
saved ; 

28. For he will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness : 
because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth. 

29. And as Esaias said before, Except the Lord of Sabaoth had 
leit us a seed, we had been as Sodoma, and been made like unto 
Gomorrah. 

The Sleepers over whom the above lamentation is 
poured out, are Jews indeed, but they have their counter- 
parts among Christians. In Christian communities, 



FROM THE GATE TO THE CROSS. 161 



families and churches, we find multitudes who are all 

unappreciative of the nature, or else of the power of the 

gospel : present ordinances (verses 4, 5), precious promises 

(verses 7-9), coming judgments, all prove unavailing to 

enlighten or interest them sufficiently to make their 

calling and election sure. In the midst of spiritual light 

which floods this dispensation, they sleep on in carnality 

and stupidity, careless of responsibility or danger. 

It is to be observed, that the pilgrim's sorrow over these 

fettered Sleepers who are so near, and yet so far away 
k 

from the Cross, is awakened and testified to within his 
breast, by the Holy Ghost (verse 1) ; that is, by the " Spirit 
of the life which is in Christ Jesus," consistently with his 
recent joyous experience. 

(2 .) Condition of the First Class of Sleepers, JVamed " Simple." 
Romans 9 : 30-33 ; 10 : 1-3. 
These are so deep in their dreams of " good works " 
that they are totally ignorant of the nature and power of 
faith. 

(CHAPTER NINTH.) 

30. What shall we say then ? That the Gentiles which followed 
not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the 
righteousness which is of faith : 

31. But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath 
not attained to the law of righteousness. 

32. Wherefore ? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it 
were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumbling- 
stone ; 



1 62 THE GATE AND THE CROSS. 



33. As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumbling-stone and 
rock of offence : and whosoever believeth on him shall not be 
ashamed. 

CHAPTER TENTH. 

1. Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is 
that they might be saved. 

2. For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not 
according to knowledge. 

3. For they, being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going 
about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted 
themselves unto the righteousness of God. 

Are there not many, not merely in the church, but 
even of the church, who are almost as ignorant as these 
Jews, if not of the nature of righteousness by faith, 
at least of the possible degree and power of right- 
eousness by faith ? Of righteousness imputed to faith, 
through the blood they know indeed, but how little as to 
righteousness imparted to faith, through the Holy Ghost ! 
They have entered the Wicket Gate in the legitimate way 
by faith ; rejoiced thereat ; talked with " Goodwill " ; and 
even entered, for more perfect indoctrination, the House 
of the Interpreter ; but alas ! they seem to have seen and 
heard very little there ; certainly not much of what our 
pilgrim in the Epistle saw and heard, for they have not 
felt the need of, nor inquired for, and much less seen, 
and knelt before the fulness of the Cross ! They know 
the "forgiveness of sins" but know nothing whatever about 
losing the burden of si/ fulness, so that they may walk at 
liberty, unfettered as to their heels ! 



FROM THE GATE TO THE CROSS. 163 



(3.) Christian. Exhorts the Sleepers. 
Romans 10 : 4-13. 
The contrast between righteousness by works and right- 
eousness by faith is set forth ; evidencing the ease and 
efficacy of the latter. 

4. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one 
that believeth. 

5. For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, 
That the man which doeth those things shall live by them. 

6. But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, 
Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven ? (that is, to 
bring Christ down from above :) 

7. Or, Who shall descend into the deep ? (that is, to bring up 
Christ again from the dead.) 

8. But what saith it ? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, 
and in thy heart : that is the word of faith, which we preach ; 

9. That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and 
shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, 
thou shalt be saved. 

10. For with the heart, man believeth unto righteousness ; and 
with the mouth, confession is made unto salvation. 

11. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not 
be ashamed. 

12. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek : for 
the same Lord over all, is rich unto all that call upon him. 

13. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be 
saved. 

(4.) Condition of the Second Class of Sleepers, named "Sloth." 
Romans 10 : 14-21. 
These are not ignorant of the possibilities of grace, but 
they are careless concerning them. They have heard 



164 THE GATE AND THE CROSS. 



(verse 18), but they need to be provoked in order to 
awaken from their sleep of inaction (verse 19) ; and many 
a time does their intellectual knowledge yearn over the 
stupidity and unwillingness of their hearts ; and so they 
live in more or less conscious condemnation (verse 21). 

14. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not 
believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not 
heard ? and how shall they hear without a preacher ? 

1 5. And how shall they preach, except they be sent ? as it is written, 
How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, 
and bring glad tidings of good things ! 

16. But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, 
Lord, who hath believed our report ? 

17. So then, faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of 
God. 

18. But I say, Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went 
into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world. 

19. But I say, did not Israel know ? First, Moses saith, I will 
provoke you to jealousy by them that are no people, and by a foolish 
nation I will anger you. 

20. But Esaias is very bold, and saith, I was found of them that 
sought me not ; I was made manifest unto them that asked not after 
me. 

21. But to Israel he saith, All day long I have stretched forth my 
hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people. 

Truly, there are numerous sleepers named " Sloth ", in 
the church, and of the church. These are lost in a 
slumber of worldliness, or business, or pride, or idolatry, 
or what not ? They find in themselves no heart to forsake 
all for Christ, in order to find all in Christ ; in order to 
find Christ as their " all in all." They are unwilling to 



FROM THE GATE TO THE CROSS. 165 



cut off the right hand of indulgence, or to pluck out the 
right eye of far-sighted conceit, and enter into the fulness 
of spiritual life maimed, as to some carnal member. 

They admit all one might preach, all one might point to 
in the Scriptures, as to the possibility of holy attainments 
in grace, but they care not to attain themselves. 

Reader, in view of what this glorious Epistle sets forth 
as thy possibility, is thy name " Sloth " ? Arise from sleep, 
and kneel before the glorious Cross of our Lord Jesus 
Christ, and thou shalt sing for joy ! 

(5.) Condition of the Third Class of Sleepers, named 
" Presumption." 
Romans 11 : 1-10. 
These continue to resist and fight those who come 
from the Cross to "tell them of the glory they have experi- 
enced (verse 3), until, finally, the repetition of truth 
becomes a snare, and an opiate to deepen their slumbers 
(verses 8-10). 

1. I say, then, Hath God cast away His people? God forbid. 
For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of 
Benjamin. 

2. God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Wot 
ye not what the scripture saith of Elias ? how he maketh interces- 
sion to God against Israel, saying, 

3. Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine 
altars : and I am left alone, and they seek my life. 

4. But what saith the answer of God unto him ? I have reserved 
to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the 
image of Baal. 



1 66 THE GATE AND THE CROSS. 



5. Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant 
according to the election of grace. 

6. And if by grace, then is it no more of works : otherwise grace 
is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace : 
otherwise work is no more work. 

7. What then ? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh 
for ; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded, 

8. (According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of 
slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not 
hear ; ) unto this day. 

9. And David saith, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, 
and a stumbling-block, and a recompense unto them : 

10. Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow 
down their back always. 

These also, are in the church, and of the church. 
They seem to hate knowledge or testimony as to an 
experience above their own, or the traditional one where 
they live. If the shibboleth of the witness is inexact, 
they reject all of his testimony concerning what he has 
found at the Cross, and decide it to be at once unortho- 
dox and unscriptural ! In their haste to detect heresy, 
they sometimes — unwittingly, let us in charity believe — - 
slay the Lord's prophets and dig down His altars ! They 
are apparently unaware of the extensive application, the 
invariable working of the Divine Rule (Luke 10 : 21) : 

Hid from the Wise and- Prudent ; 
Revealed unto Babes. 

What " meekness of wisdom " from above, " first pure, 
then peaceable, gentle, easy to be entreated, full of mercy 



FROM THE GATE TO THE CROSS. 167 



and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypoc- 
risy might become theirs if they would but spend their 
time in diligent, prayerful, worshipful study of the Scrip- 
tures to know if indeed these things be so whereof some 
affirm ! Brethren, let us learn to winnow the wheat of 
testimony, rather than at first sight to cast it all away 
because it is mingled with some unscriptural chaff ! 

(6.) Christians Reflections upon the Whole Matter. 

Romans n: 1 1-36. 
Christian turns to leave the Sleepers and to proceed 
on his journey, moralizing as he goes. He finds conso- 
lation in the hope that Providence will in time awaken 
these siumberers to the glories of the Cross (verses 1 1— 
16, 23-36), and that, meanwhile, their condition may 
prove a wholesome lesson to all pilgrims coming that 
way ; and finally (verses 32-36), rejoices, and praises the 
over-ruling, sovereign grace of God, that can and will 
effect good even through the unbelief of men ; His glory 
shining through it all ! 

11. I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God 
forbid : but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the 
Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy. 

12. Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the 
diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles ; how much more 
their fulness ? 

13. For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of 
the Gentiles, I magnify mine office : * 



1 68 THE GATE AND THE CROSS. 



14. If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are 
my flesh, and might save some of them. 

1 5. For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the 
world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead ? 

16. For if the first fruit be holy, the lump is also holy ; and if the 
root be holy, so are the branches. 

17. And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a 
wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest 
of the root and fatness of the olive tree : 

18. Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou 
bearest not the root, but the root thee. 

19. Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I 
might be graffed in. 

20. Well ; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou 
standest by faith. Be not high-minded, but fear : 

21. For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he 
also spare not thee. 

22. Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God : on them 
which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in 
his goodness; otherwise thou also shalt be cut off. 

23. And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be 
graffed in : for God is able to graff them in again. 

24. For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by 
nature, and wert graffed contrary to nature into a good olive tree ; 
how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be 
graffed into their own olive tree ? 

25. For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this 
mystery, (lest ye should be wise in your own conceits) that blindness 
in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be 
come in. 

26. And so all Israel shall be saved : as it is written, There shall 
come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness 
from Jacob : 

27. For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away 
their sins. 

28. As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes : 



FROM THE GATE TO THE CROSS. 169 



but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sakes. 

29. For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance. 

30. For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now 
obtained mercy through their unbelief ; 

31. Even so have these also now not believed, that through your 
mercy they also may obtain mercy. 

32. For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might 
have mercy upon all. 

33. O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge 
of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past 
finding out ! 

34. For who hath known the mind of the Lord ? or who hath been 
his counsellor ? 

35. Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed 
unto him again ? 

36. For of him, and through him, and to him are all things : to 
whom be glory for ever. Amen. 

2. FORMALIST AND HYPOCRISY. 

The three Sleepers, fettered as to their heels, seem to be 
representative, as we have seen, of pilgrims who have entered 
the King's high-way through the Wicket Gate, but who come 
short as to a proper degree of spiritual apprehension. 

But now, Christian meets with two companions of a differ- 
ent sort, false brethren, who come not i?i at the door of the 
sheep-fold, but climb up another way, and tumble in over the 
wall. These new-comers, therefore, are not of the church, 
but are only in the church. They have no fellowship with 
the trite pilgrim f s spiritual mind and sensitive conscie?ice, but 
scorn his discourse, and ridicule the style and finish of the 
garments which the Shining One gave him at the Cross, 



THE GATE AND THE CROSS. 



Christian, therefore, soon finds he can not abide the com- 
pany of these two self-styled pilgrims, and after bearing his 
testimony against them, he cuts their acquaintance. 

FORMALIST AND HYPOCRISY, IN THE STORY. 

He espied two men come tumbling over the wall, on 
the left hand of the narrow way ; and they made up apace 
to him. The name of the one was Formalist, and the 
name of the other Hypocrisy. So, as I said, they drew 
up unto him, who thus entered with them into discourse. 

Christian. Gentlemen, whence came you, and whither 
go you ? 

Formalist and Hypocrisy. We were born in the land 
of Vain-glory, and are going for praise to Mount Zion. 

Christian. Why came you not in at the gate which 
standeth at the beginning of the way? Know you not 
that it is written that, 1 He that cometh not in by the 
door, but climb eth up some other way, the same is a thief 
and a robber ' ? 

Formalist and Flypocrisy then said, that to go to the gate 
for entrance, was by all their countrymen counted too far 
about : and therefore, the usual way was to make a short 
cut of it, and to climb over the wall as they had done. 

Christian. But will it not be counted a trespass against 
the Lord of the City whither we are bound, thus to violate 
His revealed will? 



FROM THE GATE TO THE CROSS. 171 



Formalist and Hypocrisy then told him, that as for that, 
he need not trouble his head thereabout ; for what they 
did they had custom for : and could produce, if need were, 
testimony that would witness it for more than a thousand 
years. 

Christian. But will your practice stand a trial at law? 

Formalist and Hypocrisy then told him, that custom, it 
being of so long a standing as above a thousand years, 
would doubtless now be admitted as a thing legal by an 
impartial judge. " And besides," said they, " if we get 
into the way, what matter is it which way we get in ? " 
If we are in, we are in ; thou art but in the way, who, as 
we perceive, came in at the gate ; and we also are in the 
way that came tumbling over the wall ; wherein now is 
thy condition better than ours ? " 

Christian. I walk by the rule of my master ; you walk 
by the rude working of your fancies. You are counted 
thieves already by the Lord of the way ; therefore I doubt 
you will not be found true men at the end of the way. 
You" came in by yourselves, without his direction ; and 
shall go out by yourselves, without his mercy. 

To this they made him but little answer ; only they 
bade him look to himself. 

Then I saw, that they went on every man in his way, 
without much conference one with another ; save that 
these two men told Christian, that as to laws and ordi- 



172 THE GATE AND THE CROSS. 

nances, they doubted not but they should as conscien- 
tiously do them as he. " Therefore," say they, " we see not 
wherein thou differest from us, but by the coat that is on 
thy back, which was, as we trow, given' thee by some of 
thy neighbors, to hide the shame of thy nakedness." 

Christian. By laws and ordinances you will not be 
saved, since you came not in by the door. And as for 
this coat that is on my back, it was given me by the Lord 
of the place whither I go ; and that, as you say, to cover 
my nakedness with. And I take it as a token of kind- 
ness to me; for I had nothing but rags before; and 
besides, thus I comfort myself as I go : Surely (think 
I), when I come to the -gate of the city, the Lord thereof 
will know me for good, since I have his coat on my back ; 
a coat that he gave me freely in the day that he stripped 
me of my rags. I have moreover a mark in my forehead, 
(of which perhaps you have taken no notice,) which one 
of our Lord's most intimate associates fixed there in the 
day that my burden fell off my shoulders. I will tell you, 
moreover, that I had then given me a roll sealed, to com- 
fort me by reading, as I go on the way : I was also bid to 
give it in at the Celestial Gate, in token of my certain 
going in after it. All which things I doubt you want, 
and want them, because you came not in at the gate. 

To these things they gaye him no answer : only they 
looked upon each other and laughed. Then I saw that 



FROM THE GATE TO THE CROSS. 173 



they went on all, save that Christian kept before, who 
had no more talk but with himself, and that sometimes 
sighing, and sometimes comfortably : also he would be 
often reading in the roll, that one of the shining-ones gave 
him, by which he was refreshed. 

FORMALIST AND HYPOCRISY, IN THE EPISTLE. 

Romans, Chapters 12 to 16, inclusive. 

Very curiously, in correspondence with the order given 
in the Story, we find sufficient in these chapters to consti- 
tute our final parallelism, without any violence. 

Christian discourses with Formalist and Hypocrisy, 
and speaks in disapprobation of " the land of Vain-glory," 
whence they came, and warns them against following 
those laws of fashion and custom and self-importance 
upon which they profess to rely. 

1. Christian Rebukes Formalist and Hypocrisy for 
worldliness. 
Romans 12: 1-3. 

1. I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that 
ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, 
which is your reasonable service. 

2. And be not conformed to this world : but be ye transformed by 
the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, 
and acceptable, and perfect will of God. 

3. For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that 
is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to 
think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every 
man the measure of faith. 



174 THE GATE AND 2 HE CROSS. 



2. Christian Explains the Reason for His Plain Apparel, 
Garment by Garment. 

Romans, from 12 : 4, to 16 : 24. 

Christian, in reply to Formalist and Hypocrisy, who 

have been ridiculing the style and cut of the garments, 

so out of fashion, which he received from the Shining 

One at the Cross, here sets forth the purposes for which 

these garments were given him, and the various kinds of 

spiritual service for which they adapt him. 

(1.) Christian's spiritual garments of love, hope and 
patie7ice,ftt hii7i for service in the church. 

Romans, 12 : 4-16. 

4. For as we have many members in one body, and all members 
have not the same office : 

5. So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one 
members one of another. 

6. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given 
to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the propor- 
tion of faith ; 

7. Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering ; or he that teach- 
eth, on teaching ; 

8. Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation : he that giveth, let him 
do it with simplicity ; he that ruleth, with diligence ; he that shew- 
eth mercy, with cheerfulness. 

9. Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil ; 
cleave to that which is good. 

10. Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love ; in 
honor preferring one another ; 

11. Not slothful in business ; fervent in spirit ; serving the Lord ; 

12. Rejoicing in hope ; patient in tribulation ; continuing instant 
in prayer ; 



FROM THE GATE TO THE CROSS. 175 



13. Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality. 

14. Bless them which persecute you ; bless, and curse not. 

15. Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that 
weep. 

t6. Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high 
things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your 
own conceits. 

(2.) Christian's spiritual garments Jit him for service 
towards enemies. 

Romans 12:1 7-2 1 . 

17. Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest 
in the sight of all men. 

iS. If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with 
all men. 

19. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place 
unto wrath : for it is written, Vengeance is mine ; I will repay, saith 
the Lord. 

20. Therefore, if thine enemy hunger, feed him ; if he thirst, give 
him drink : for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. 

21. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good. 

(3.) Christian's spiritual garments Jit him for service as 
to citizenship. 

Romans 13 ; 1-14. 

1. Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is 
no power but of God : the powers that be, are ordained of God. 

2. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordi- 
nance of God ; and they that resist shall receive to themselves 
damnation. 

3. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. 
Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power ? do that which is good, 
and thou shalt have praise of the same. 

4. For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou 
do that which is evil, be afraid ; for he beareth not the sword in 



176 THE GATE AND THE CROSS. 



vain ; for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath 
upon him that doeth evil. 

5. Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but 
also for conscience' sake. 

6. For, for this cause pay ye tribute also : for they are God's 
ministers, attending continually upon this very thing. 

7. Render therefore to all their dues : tribute to whom tribute is 
due ; custom to whom custom ; fear to whom fear ; honor to whom 
honor. 

8. Owe no man anything, but to love one another : for he that 
loveth another hath fulfilled the law. 

9. For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, 
Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt 
not covet ; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly com- 
prehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as 
thyself. 

10. Love worketh no ill to his neighbor: therefore love is the 
fulfilling of the law. 

11. And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake 
out of sleep : for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. 

12. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore 
cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. 

13. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and 
drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and 
envying : 

14. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not "provision 
for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof. 

(4.) Christian's spiritual garments fit him for service 
towards weaker brethren. 

Romans, 14: 1, to 15: 7. 

CHAPTER FOURTEENTH. 

i. Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful 
disputations. 



FROM THE GATE TO THE CROSS. 177 



2. For one believeth that he may eat all things : another, who is 
weak, eateth herbs. 

3. Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not ; and let 
not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath 
received him. 

4. Who art thou that judgest another man's servant ? to his own 
master he standeth or falleth ; yea, he shall be holden up : for God 
is able to make him stand. 

5. One man esteemeth one day above another : another esteemeth 
every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own 
mind. 

6. He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord : and he 
that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He 
He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks ; and 
he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks. 

7. For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. 

8. For whether we live, we live unto the Lord ; and whether we 
die, we die unto the Lord ; whether we live therefore, or die, we are 
the Lord's. 

9. For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he 
might be Lord both of the dead and living. 

10. But why dost thou judge thy brother ? or why dost thou set at 
nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment-seat 
of Christ. 

11. For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall 
bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. 

12. So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. 

13. Let us not therefore judge one another any more : but judge 
this rather, that no man put a stumbling-block, or an occasion to fall 
in his brother's way. 

14. I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is 
nothing unclean of itself : but to him that esteemeth anything to be 
unclean, to him it is unclean. 

15. But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkest 
thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom 
Christ died. 



178 THE GATE AND THE CROSS. 



16. Let not then your good be evil spoken of : 

17. For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but righteous- 
ness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. 

18. For he that in these things serveth Christ, is acceptable to 
God, and approved of men. 

19. Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, 
and things wherewith one may edify another. 

20. For meat destroy not the work of God. All things indeed 
are pure ; but it is evil for the man who eateth with offence. 

21. It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing 
whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak. 

22. Hast thou faith ? have it to thyself before God. Happy is he 
that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth. 

23. And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth 
not of faith ; for whatsoever is not of faith is sin. 

CHAPTER FIFTEENTH. 

1. We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the 
weak, and not to please ourselves. 

2. Let every one of us please his neighbor for his good to edifica- 
tion. 

3. For even Christ pleased not himself ; but as it is written, The 
reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me. 

4. For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for 
our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures 
might have hope. 

5. Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be like- 
minded one toward another according to Christ Jesus : 

6. That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even 
the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

7. Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us, 
to the glory of God. 

(5.) Christianas spiritual garments Jit him for service 
towards the unbelieving world, in preaching the gospel. 



FROM THE GATE TO THE CROSS. 179 



Romans 15 : 8-21. 
S. Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision 
for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers: 

9. And that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy ; as it 
is written, For this cause I will confess to thee among the Gentiles, 
and sing unto thy name. 

10. And again he saith, Rejoice, ye Gentiles, with his people. 

11. And again, Praise the Lord, all ye Gentiles; and laud him, 
all ye people. 

12. And again Esaias saith, There shall be a root of Jesse, and 
he that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles ; in him shall the Gen- 
tiles trust. 

13. Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in 
believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the 
Holy Ghost. 

14. And I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye 
also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to 
admonish one another. 

15. Nevertheless, brethren, I have written the more boldly unto 
you in some sort, as putting you in mind, because of the grace that 
is given to me of God. 

16. That I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles 
ministering the gospel of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles 
might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost. 

17. I have therefore whereof I may glory through Jesus Christ, 
in those things which pertain to God. 

18. For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which 
Christ hath not wrought by me, to make the Gentiles obedient, by 
word and deed. 

19. Through mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the 
Spirit of God ; so that from Jerusalem, and round about unto Illyr- 
icum, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ. 

20. Yea, so have I strived to preach the gospel, not where Christ 
was named, lest I should build upon another man's foundation : 

21. But, as it is written, To whom he was not spoken of, they 
shall see : and they that have not heard shall understand. 



180 THE GATE AND THE CROSS. 



(6.) Christian v s spiritual garments fit him for service in 
the direction of benevolent contributions, and missionaiy zeal, 
at home and abroad. 

Romans 15 : 22-33/ 

22. For which cause also I have been much hindered from coming 
to you. 

23. But now having no more place in these parts, and having a 
great desire these many years to come unto you ; 

24. Whensoever I take my journey into Spain, I will come to 
you : for I trust to see you in my journey, and to be brought on my 
way thitherward by you, if first I be somewhat filled with your 
company. 

25. But now I go unto Jerusalem to minister unto the saints. 

26. For it hath pleased them of Macedonia and Achaia to make 
a certain contribution for the poor saints which are at Jerusalem. , 

27. It hath pleased them verily: and their debtors they are. For 
if the Gentiles have been made partakers of their spiritual things, 
their duty is also to minister unto them in carnal things. 

28. When therefore I have performed this, and have sealed to 
them this fruit, I will come by you into Spain. 

29. And I am sure that when I come unto you, I shall come in 
the fulness of the blessing of the gospel of Christ. 

30. Now I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ's 
sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that ye strive together with me 
in your prayers to God for me ; 

31. That I may be delivered from them that do not believe in 
Judea ; and that my service which I have for Jerusalem, may be 
accepted of the saints : 

32. That I may come unto you with joy by the will of God, and 
may with you be refreshed. 

33. Now the God of peace be with you' all. Amen. 

(7.) Christian's spiritual garments fit him for service 
among intimate friends, and in the home-circle. 



FROM THE GATE TO THE CROSS. 181 



Romans, 16 : 1-24. 

1. I commend unto you Phebe our sister, which is a servant of the 
church which is at Cenchrea : 

2. That ye receive her in the Lord, as becometh saints, and that 
ye assist her in whatsoever business she hath need of you : for she 
hath been a succourer of many, and of myself also. 

3. Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my helpers in Christ Jesus : 

4. Who have for my life laid down their own necks , unto whom 
not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles. 

5. Likewise greet the church that is in their house. Salute my 
well-beloved Epenetus, who is the first-fruits of Achaia unto Christ. 

6. Greet Mary, who bestowed much labour on us. 

7. Salute Andronicus and Junia, my kinsman, and my fellow 
prisoners who are of note among the apostles, who also were in 
Christ before me. 

8. Greet Amplias, my beloved in the Lord. 

9. Salute Urbane, our helper in Christ, and Stachys my beloved. 

10. Salute Apelles approved in Christ. Salute them which are 
of Aristobulus' household. 

11. Salute Herodion my kinsman. Greet them that be of the 
household of Narcissus, which are in the Lord. 

12. Salute Tryphena and Tryphosa, who labour in the Lord. 
Salute the beloved Persis, which laboured much in the Lord. 

13. Salute Rufus chosen in the Lord, and his mother and mine. 

14. Salute Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermas, Patrobas, Hermes, and 
the brethren which are with them. 

15. Salute Philologus, and Julia, Nereus, and his sister, and 
Olympas, and all the saints which are with them. 

16. Salute one another with a holy kiss. The churches of Christ 
salute you. 

17. Now I beseech you^ brethren, mark them which cause divis- 
ions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned : and 
avoid them. 

18. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but 
their own belly ; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the 
hearts of the simple. 



1 82 THE GATE AND THE CROSS. 



19. For your obedience is come abroad unto all men. I am glad, 
therefore on your behalf : but yet I would have you wise unto that 
which is good, and simple concerning evil. 

20. And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet 
shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen. 

21. Timotheus my workfellow, and Lucius, and Jason, and 
Sosipater, my kinsmen, salute you. 

22. I Tertius, who wrote this epistle, salute you in the Lord. 

23. Gaius mine host, and of the whole church, saluteth you. 
Erastus the chamberlain of the city saluteth you, and Quartus a 
brother. 

24. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. 

3. Christian Reads from His Roll, as He Proceeds on 
Alone. 
Romans 16 : 25-27. 

Christian now turns from his companions, and from the 
reader, to proceed alone on his pilgrimage toward the 
Celestial City ; and as he goes, he opens again the Sealed 
Roll which he received at the Cross from the Shining 
One, and reads for his refreshment concerning God's 
Eternal Purpose towards those who are called unto salva- 
tion : 

25. Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my 
gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation 
of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, 

26. But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the 
prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, 
made known to all nations for the obedience of faith: 

27. To God only wise be glory through Jesus Christ for ever, 
Amen. 



AN INQUIRY CONCERNING 

THE GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. 

BY REV. GEO. B. PECK. 
With an Introduction by Rev. A. J. Gordon, D. D. 
SECOND EDITION. 
Pages, 186. Price: Cloth, 75 Cents; Paper, 35 Cents. 



COMMENTS OF PRESS AND PEOPLE. 

" I am greatly pleased with its thoroughly Biblical 
character, as so fully exhibiting the testimony of the 
Word as to the privilege of the believer to be baptized 
with the Holy Spirit. It is a book which can hardly fail 
to quicken desire after higher attainments in grace in the 
Christian who will thoroughly and prayerfully read it." 
— Prof. S. H. Kellogg, D.D., Author of " The Jews, or 
Prediction and Fulfillment." 

" The manner of treatment is that of a Bible-reading 
designed to collate and set in order the whole array of 
New Testament teaching thereupon. Esteeming a clear 
conception of this doctrine as of the greatest practical 
importance in the Christian life, and believing many 
estimable brethren to be in the dark about it, I think 
that the knowledge of such a simple and inexpensive 
book may stimulate an interest, which, to some, will 
prove lastingly beneficial." — Rev.Jas. M. Gray, in Epis- 
copal Recorder, Feb. qth, 1888. 

" This is an admirable little book on the need of the 
Church, and of individual Christians today — the endow- 
ment with power from on high. It will be found very 
helpful to the growth* of grace, and progress in the 
higher Christian lif,e." — Methodist S. S. Banner, Toronto, 
Canada. 



Address the Author, Care Watchword Ptcblishing Co., 

120 Tremont Street, Boston, Mass. 



THRONE LIFE: 

OR 

The Highest Christian Life. 

BY REV. GEO. B. PECK. 

Pages, 236. Price: Cloth, $1.00; Paper, 50 cents. 

COMMENTS OF THE PRESS. 

" This book is written by one of the most spiritually 
minded writers of Christian life. It is designed to 
lift up the spiritual vision of God's people to their exalted 
place of privilege and power as those who are seated 
with Christ in heavenly places. It is a most stimulating 
and inspiring book. Portions of it have been given from 
time to time as Bible-readings at our various conventions, 
and the effect has always been a wonderful uplift in the 
spiritual aspirations of even the most advanced Chris- 
tians." — The Christian Alliance, New York, Dee., 1888. 

" We can heartily commend this volume to all who are 
seeking a deeper spiritual experience. It is a setting 
forth of ' The Highest Christian Life ' in the power and 
privileges thereof. The ideal or judicial position of the 
believer as sharer in our Lord's enthronement has been 
often and ably set forth. We have not before seen the 
spiritual and practical side of this truth exhibited. This 
little work gives both aspects — the first as the* basis and 
groundwork of the second, and the second as the personal 
appropriation and realization of the first. The book is 
full of rich exposition ; especially striking is the typical 
unfolding of the truth from the history of Israel, of Moses 
and Joshua." — The Watchword, Boston, Dec, 1888. 

" This work is especially adapted to advanced Chris- 
tians, and is calculated to greatly widen the range of 
their spiritual vision. We predict for it an extensive 
circulation, which it well deserves. The reader will find 
it, ' The Old Corn of the Land.' We. trust every reader 
of the Evangelist will order one at once." — The Holi- 
ness Evangelist, Oakland, Cal.,Jan., 2nd, 1889. 

Address the Author, Care Watchword Publishing Co. 

120 Tremont Street, Boston, Mass. 



6S 

ZU5 



